Sink Of Blood & Crushed Veneer
by forsakenfuckery
Summary: Leaving the safety of her safe house in Charlotte to recover family, friends, and supplies, she has to gather all of her strength to get over her losses with her sanity still in tact, for the sake of her son.  Daryl/OFC
1. The Flashback

A/N: here's the first chapter of my TWD fic. Enjoy. xoxo.

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><p>"I'm so glad you decided on comin' to Augusta wit us.", A lanky brunette girl said from the other side of the store, southern twang evident in her voice.<p>

Sarafina Deckhardt stood five foot six in an olive prom dress that was in the process of being altered, her lower-back length hair tied up for the time-being. "We went to school and grew up here, it's not a big deal. Besides, someone needed to wear the dress for you, what with that full leg cast you're wearing"

"Thank fuck we're 'bout the same size.", Maggie forced a small laugh, her face turning red from embarrassment as Lydia, Sara's best friend, glanced her way while they both browsed through racks of clothes that people didn't usually look through.

They were at Ms. Delaine's thrift shop, it was a place where both Sarafina and Lydia worked in high school. Though they really didn't enjoy the long hours, they always thought it beat working at the bar just across the street. The town drunkards usually found many ways to disturb the peace of their much less wasted co-existing residents. Sarafina glanced down at the old lady who was taking her measurements, she was Ms. Delaine's mother. Cynthia Delaine wasn't much older than Sarafina, now that she thought about it. She herself was only twenty-five, and she was sure Cynthia was in her late-thirties.

Sara looked to her lanky cousin, Maggie Greene. Maggie was smiling and observing all of the steps the older Delaine went through to prepare her dress before she started having light conversation with Lydia, both of them now sitting in the chairs a ways away from the elevated floor Sara was standing on to perfect the accuracy of measurement. She noticed the old woman's hands shaking and wondered if their movement made the old woman as nervous of pricking her as she was of getting pricked. Soon enough, it was all over and time for her to take the dress off, the old woman pre-occupied with re-measuring Maggie to make up for the few extra inches that she needed to lose when re-pinning the dress. Sara felt almost guilty that her child-bearing hips and more shapely bust was causing poor old Mrs. Delaine a headache.

"When did they say you'd be all healed up?", Sara asked Maggie from the other side of the dressing room curtain, finally speaking again once the old lady had taken the dress off and left her to the task of putting her own clothes back on.

"Two weeks 'fore prom, they guessed. Dad gave a second opinion and he thinks the doctors are right. I don't understand why he just doesn't become my primary physician. ", Maggie said, fiddling at the dressing room curtain absent-mindedly.

"What _I don't _understand is how you can ride those damned creatures.", Sarafina couldn't help give a muffled laugh at Lydia's outburst, knowing for a fact that Lydia had been afraid of horses for as long as she'd known her.

"They're not that gawd awful.", Maggie argued back in a playful tone. "Aye, are you almost done in there?"

Sara just stuck her hand out of the curtain and gave a thumbs up, as to say _almost_, before she lifted her shirt over her head. She threw the curtain aside, eyes narrowed upon seeing Lydia and Maggie wearing cowboy hats on the other side of the threshold. "Seriously? You guys are insane.", She brushed past them, only to be pulled back to Lydia's side.

"Speaking of insane", Lydia 's eyes were about to bulge from her head and she had no control over the matter. It was decided. That was the only reason for her to be wearing such an expression, Sara was sure of it. "You'll never guess who I saw with your cousin, Sebastian."

Sara gave in to the game after she was sure she couldn't get away with straight-facing her best friend any longer, "Nope. _Who_?"

"Merle Dixon."

Sara gave her with a disbelieving expression before Maggie blurted, "_Who_?"

"His brother went to school with Sara and I. Even dated Sara. Merle is much older than us though, Around Sebastian's age, actually.", Lydia filled Maggie in before receiving a squint toward the hind part of her conversation. "Sebastian is not _that _old.", Sara amended.

"Doesn't really matter much, Maggie never paid attention to our friends, she was so young. And she sure as hell didn't pay any attention to Sebastian's friend's either. To be quite honest, Daryl wasn't even our friend, He was Charlotte's. They're the same age. You, Lindy, and I were the ones who hung like wet clothes.", Lydia's eyes were clouding over with the past and Sara would much rather not talk about any of it. She didn't want to reminisce…_especially_ not about Daryl.

"Alright. Alright.", She finally said, pulling Lydia out of her glory day fantasies. "Why the hell were you telling me anyhow?"

"Well Sebastian was taking Denny fishing today, right?", Sarafina gave an impatient nod, desperately wanting to know where this conversation was heading so it could be over and done with. Pretty sure Maggie wasn't paying attention to anything anymore, what with the dazed expression on her face. "Well… when you were in the dressing room, He got back from fishing, I assume. But on his way back to the shop, he ran into Merle and they all walked off somewhere."

Sara's eye twitched only slightly and she moved her hand to cover it. "You're shitting me, right?" Maggie looked up upon hearing the tone of Sara's voice before she chimed in, "Well…we're all done here. You guys can feel free to go find 'em. I was plannin' on catching up with some school friends anyway. Dad said he'd pick me up after, cause I knew I'd want to stay out late."

Lydia gave her best friend a look of excitement as she heard the ending of Maggie's words. "_No_.", Sara spoke in an irritated tone, "_Absolutely _not."

Lydia frowned up and stepped closer to the other woman, hugging her as she gave plea after plea. Maggie could see that was her cue to leave so she left the shop, saying goodbye to the other two, even though they seemed pretty pre-occupied with things as it was. "Why not. C'mon. I know Lindy will be pissed we left her at home when she hears about this, but we have to do this. **One **dummy mission, _please_. When was the last time you even saw Daryl? Before Denny was born? C'mon, I know you're the least bit curious as to what he looks like, who he associates with."

"_No_.", Sara said again, fighting to get out of Lydia's anaconda death grip.

Lydia released her finally, her arms folding. The gesture was quite ridiculous from Sara's perspective, Lydia looked almost child-like. "What in gawd's name are you doing, Lydia Carson?"

"I'm pouting, cause I'm mad at you.", Lydia said, giving a stamp of one of her feet as she turned her head away from Sara. Sara nibbled at the tip of her fingernails before sighing. She was on the verge of giving in _completely_, she felt it. "Why are you mad at me, Lyd?"

Lydia turned her head only slightly so that she could look at Sara through her peripheral, squinting lightly before exhaling deeply, "Well for starters, you're not being a very good parent. Your six year old son could be god knows where with _The Dixon Brothers._"

"_Sea bass _is with him.", She said pointedly before adding, "You know Sebastian wouldn't let anything happen to Denny, and he sure as hell wouldn't take him somewhere I wouldn't approve of. Plus they're probably just at Daryl's place. Sebastian said something about there being a barbeque. However, he was supposed to bring Denny back, first.."

Lydia sighed, as if to surrender on that subject before she was right back to talking again, naming another reason. "Well, then I'm only mad at you because you and I have worked hella hard to get these banging figures- We're almost _thirty_- and you don't want to show them off to the likes of your _ex_ and_ my long time crush_."

Sara scrunched her nose, still not believing that her best friend had such poor taste in men. Merle fucking Dixon, _really_? She shook the thought away and then tilted her head to think. "I mean…I could just go get Denny." Lydia lit up within an inch of her life before she started jumping and squealing. "Calm down, woman. I didn't say I'd stay. That's for damn sure."

Lydia moved forward and smacked Sara on the ass, grinning harder than she'd done in a long time. "Shut up and show off that body. You've got a damn good body to be somebody's Momma." Sara rolled her eyes, she was used to getting ass-abused by her best friend's hand. If she had a quarter for every time Lydia smacked her on the ass, she'd be a millionaire. Part of her thinks that Lydia only followed her to Michigan State after High School just so the abuse could continue.

The two made their way out of the shop, Sara bidding a good day to Cynthia Delaine's mother as they did. Lydia had been linking arms with her for almost the whole walk to Washington Avenue, where they were sure Daryl lived. Lydia let go of her arm and started twirling around, face turned to the pinkish hue of the sky. This was _totally _typical 'nearly thirty' behavior, she thought sarcastically, a smile on her face as she watched her best friend, part of her knowing that once they reached Daryl's house, all of her excitement would fade away and her seducing would begin. Merle Dixon had better start runnin'.

"That's the house." Lydia said, skepticism in Sara's eyes as she straight-faced her best friend for the second time in one day. "How do you _know_?" Lydia just simply turned Sara's head toward the truck in the driveway, it was Daryl's for sure. Sara remembered the truck a little too well. "_Oh_.", was all she managed to say at her moment of stupidity. "And, I can smell barbequed squirrel and deer from where we stand..", Lydia added pointedly. Sara only rolled her eyes.

Upon reaching the yard, they continued toward the back yard, where they could hear the low sound of music and obnoxiously loud laughter. At this point, Sara was a bit nervous, she had not signed up for this. She glanced over to check on Lydia as they stalked closer to where the others were sure to be, amazed to find that she was wearing the same look of uncertainty. However, the look on Lydia's face wore away instantly when she heard Merle talking about how _hot _Sebastian's cousin had been. Sara stopped cold in her tracks and perked up upon then hearing her _name_. "Ew.", she spat.

Lydia chuckled and Sarafina was shocked that his words hadn't bothered her. As much of a man whore Merle was, it never seemed to fully bother her, she still wanted him. It was really sick. Lydia grabbed hold of Sara's hand and the woman staggered forward, a horrified expression on her face. "_Sea bass_!", Lydia cooed, both of them appearing in the yard now.

Sebastian swiveled around before anyone else moved, Merle taking attention first, then Daryl, then Karen- a flimsy floozy who worked at the bar O'Toole's across from Cynthia Delaine's shop. Denny was last to notice his Mother and Lydia, his face lighting up as he ran to her. "Mommy!", She tugged away from Lydia harshly, giving her the most unfriendly glare possible before running a hand through her long brown hair. "Hey sweetie.", she said when the boy finally reached her. He jumped into her arms and she hugged and kissed at his head.

Sebastian stood and over Denny's shoulder Sara gave him a smirk. She walked over to him, the boy still clinging to her for dear life. "Why didn't you tell me you had _plans_", She said in a whispered tone, glancing at Merle who sat closest to Sebastian.

"I'm so sorreh.", he said.

"How often does _this _happen?", Sara asked, having always wondered why fishing took so long. Merle chuckled just a bit but Sara ignored it long enough that when she found out what he'd been laughing at, she grew more annoyed. She glanced back to see Lydia mocking her. "Lydia. What the hell are you doing?", Lydia shrugged innocently and Sara's face turned red from her slight anger.

"Awh hell woman, you dun got her mad now.", For a moment after hearing his voice, Sara grew startled, she'd completely forgotten he was here. Her back was turned to him this whole time.

Sara placed Denny on the ground and told him to go bother Lydia, who was inching closer to the group of people. Sara turned toward Daryl and gave a faint smile, "Hi Daryl.", Daryl smirked before nodding at her, Karen leaning a little too closely to him afterward. Sara gave a slight chuckle at the discomfort displayed on Daryl's face. Same old Daryl, privy to public displays of affection. But then it occurred to her, this wasn't the _same _Daryl, he was more toned, more scraggly, if anything he was the opposite of who he used to be in her eyes. Sure, he was always rude to people, hated PDA, smelled like motor oil, and wore sleeveless shirts- but _now_, he was a turn off, still attractive as ever, but a turn off as he sat there with a woman he normally wouldn't have associated with and a smug look on his face. He wasn't her Daryl anymore, but then again, she wasn't his Sara anymore either. She chuckled again at how much people can change.

"Somethin' funny?", Karen snarled.

Sara raised an eyebrow at the other woman's tone and ran a hand through her hair. Daryl just paused. "Nah. Just laughing." Clearly Daryl was surprised at Sara's reaction, he was used to that fiery high school girl who used to hit people over the head with a beer bottle whenever they managed to get on her bad side, or say the wrong thing.

"Damn, Karen. I was hopin' someone would smack yer ass up. Guess our old Sarafina Greene is gone, huh, girly?", Merle laughed obnoxiously for a moment, words aimed at Sara.

"Guess so", She said in response to his words and as Sebastian sat back down in his foldable chair, he gave Merle a look of annoyance, "It's actually Sarafina _Deckhardt_ now. Too good to be one o'us.", She looked down at her cousin, taking the empty lawn chair next to him, which was presumed to have been Karen's since her ass was basically engulfing the armrest of Daryl's lawn chair.

"That isn't true.", She snapped, slightly surprised when her young son came and sat on her lap. She held him close to her. Lydia was close behind, going and taking a seat on Merle's lap. Merle didn't seem to mind but the whole thing made Sarafina want to lose her lunch . She snapped out of her stupor and focused on what Sebastian was saying to her, trying her hardest to ignore Daryl's hard gaze.

"Is true. You went of to college and forgot all 'bout us. All yer friends. All yer family. Hell, I barely seen Denny since he was born. You gotta beg Chris to bring ya down 'ere. I'm shocked I was even at yer weddin'.", She could tell he was getting absolutely plastered, but one thing was for certain, he always told the truth when he was drunk. And not that flimsy version of the truth that everyone is so used to getting, Sebastian Greene told the _ugly _truth when he was drunk.

"I didn't forget about anyone.", Sara fought back, her country accent not as strong as it should have been.

"Don't pull that shit, Sars. Last time you was 'ere, you and Darylina was the best of friends. Then Chris got insecure an' you culn't even talk to 'em no more. All 'cause the two of yers fucked and he's yer ex.", Sebastian scoffed, watching first as Sara flinched at the word _fucked_, then as Daryl gave him a warning glare about the nickname that Merle and Sebastian had given to him, before continuing his drunken rant., "He din't even know you was a Momma. Til right now. He's spent time wit Denny, e'ry time you come down 'ere, but he din't know Denny was yers.", Her cousin shook his head at her and it made her feel a twinge of guilt.

He was right, she was forced to stop talking to Daryl and it had been so long that soon she just stopped fighting it, stopped caring. She hadn't talked to Daryl in literally six years, and if Chris knew she was even around him right now, he'd be unbelievably pissed. She guessed Chris had a reason for that though, with what happened six Christmas' ago before they had gotten engaged. She cringed just thinking about it, so she shook it from her mind, almost immediately.

"I'm sorry", she mumbled, holding her now sleeping son to her chest.

Sebastian smirked, perking up a bit at the sound of her voice. "Wassdat?" Sara gritted her teeth for a moment, it was always hard for her to apologize, even if she was at fault. "I said. I'm sorry.", She said more sternly, her eyes on Daryl now.

"Thas more like it. Yer a Greene. We dun't take shit, but mos' of all, we dun't give it.", She smirked a bit at his words, mulling them over, wondering just how drunk he was.

Conversation picked up after that, and when Karen passed out from drinking too much, things got much better. It was only eight, and Maggie had texted Sara to inform her that she and some friends were going to a movie and that her father, Sara's uncle Hershel, would pick her up afterward. It was all a bit strange how the Greene's were sort of estranged, yet close all the same. Hershel and his family didn't associate or know the Dixon's or anyone else in Augusta as much as Sara did. It was probably because Sara's father was a professional major leaguer, her dad being the youngest of three boys, and everyone in town knew her and her sister, Lindy. Hershel disowned his youngest brother for some reason and they barely spoke. Sara and her family had resided in town and Hershel and his family lived a few miles outside of Augusta, closer to Atlanta. Sara's dad and Sebastian's dad, her uncle Jack who was also Charlotte's dad, remained close and he lived in Augusta too.

Sara shook the thought almost immediately upon hearing Daryl's voice so close to her ear. "You want to go lay him down in my bed?", he asked, referring to Denny, who was still fast asleep. "Uh, sure.", she answered, a bit hesitant after finding Lydia to be staring at them.

Daryl stood up straighter, chewing on his lip when he said, "C'mon then."

He started trudging toward the house and Sara stood careful of her son in her arms before following after him, hearing what sounded like Merle giving her _ass _a compliment. She ignored it, of course. Once inside, she looked around, a small smile on her face at the design of it all. This house suited Daryl. It was isolated to every other house on the street, then on the inside there were heads of mostly everything he'd ever hunted. Sara herself was against animal harm, but Daryl didn't just _kill 'em to kill 'em_. He killed them to eat them and didn't waste one bit of them. "Bedroom is this way", he called to her gruffly as she hesitated in the living room, still looking at all his kill. "Sorry.", She said, snapping out of it and following after him to the staircase. He led her upstairs and his bedroom was the first on the left, the bedroom across from it seeming to be bone empty as she peaked into it from a distance.

He cleared his throat after a few seconds of waiting on her to come all the way through the doorway. Daryl was new to being patient, the only time he ever really had been was when they were together, which was a long time ago, He had gotten unfamiliar with the whole _patience _thing when she left him. She entered the room and looked around, it was pretty plain- suited Daryl too, she thought. She carefully laid the Denny down in the center of the bed, making sure he wouldn't roll off onto the floor. She looked up at Daryl, catching an expression on his face that she didn't recognize. He looked down at her and then cleared his throat , "He's really…somethin'", Daryl said. She smiled up at Daryl before leaning down again, placing a small kiss on the boy's head. "Thank you."

Her head being hip-level with Daryl, she noticed something. He was blocking her from the bedside table, purposely obstructing her view of it. She squinted before standing again. "Daryl.", he made a humming noise to make her aware the he'd heard her, as he gazed down at the sleeping child, gnawing on his thumb as he did. "What's _that_?", She pointed around him and he jerked back slightly, knocking whatever it was onto the floor. She couldn't tell if he'd done it on purpose or not, but she leaned down to retrieve the object at the same time as he did, knocking their heads together in the process.

"Fuck", Daryl sputtered, falling back onto his butt, sitting on the floor now as he cupped his head in pain. Sara cupped her hand on her head too, but didn't make much noise about the pain. She was more of a _suffer in silence _type of person. She managed to look at the cracked picture frame, grabbing it up quickly before Daryl could get to it. She gasped lightly, her other hand still cupping her head while one held the frame up. "Is this…_us_?" He sighed, taking it from her, chewing at his lip nervously. "Jus' some stupid thing, dun't know why I even keep it."

Her heart fell and she looked away from him, wishing all of this didn't hurt as much as it did. Fact of the matter was that he still had that picture and that mahogany frame, he still had something of hers, and she still had something of _his_.

* * *

><p>"<em>Mom<em>.", The boy with dirty-blonde colored hair said for about the trillionth time and she shook her head, looking over at the ten year old in the passenger seat for just a moment. "What, Denny? _What_?" The slightly-tanned boy looked out his window, replaying the catastrophic events before his no longer innocent eyes. He hated seeing nothing but wasteland after wasteland, "Are we there yet?".

She sighed, keeping her eyes fixed on the road, "I told you. We passed it already and no one was there. It was just a bunch of smoke. 'member?", Her voice sounded a bit more panicked than she planned it to. She glanced into her rear view mirror momentarily to see her dad's slugger, sitting up in the backseat, covered in dried up blood . She shivered, thanking god her dad had died long before any of this bullshit. Her father died of pneumonia two years earlier after her last visit to Georgia and her mother was out there somewhere, kicking zombie ass and taking names. She was estranged from her mother after her being so unfaithful to her father, so it didn't matter. Then again, it was mostly her father's fault, being a traveling athlete and all.

She then thought about her poor step-mother, Sylvia, who her father had re-married to when Sara was sixteen; her sister, Lindy; and her best friend Lydia. Sylvia and Lindy died right in front of her, being consumed by those damned monsters. Sara had to admit she wasn't so sad to see them gnawing away at her cheating dirt-bag husband, Chris. And Lydia? She'd lost track of Lydia. Though, she was sure she was still out there somewhere, what with their occasional midnight chats on their long range walkie talkie's. They had actually planned to meet up, that's why Sara desperately headed toward Augusta, knowing that she could stop and scavenge the nearby prison for supplies. Lydia was supposed to meet her a few miles past the prison, at Delaine's Thrift Shop. Hopefully they both made it that far.

She and Denny were also leaving the comfort of her safe house in the woodsy areas of Charlotte to search for the remnants of the Greene family; meet up with Lydia at Delaine's; meet up Sebastian, who was driving their grandmother up from Savannah, at the prison; and meet up with Charlotte, who was coming from Montgomery, Alabama, at the prison too. She stayed in contact with them, having hacked her way into what remained of a cell phone company near Myrtle Beach. She and her step-sister Stephanie's husband, Rupert, found a way to link everyone their own Verizon phones and activate them. Sebastian and Charlotte already had the provider so it was easier than one would assume. All Rupert did was gather everyone else in the group their own Verizon's from the abandoned place, programmed them, and then linked everyone's numbers- including Sebastian and Charlotte's which Sara had given to him. It was a piece of cake from then on. He used to work as an I.T. for the phone company's before the world went to shit, now he was just a really good hacker of anything electronic.

Among her group of survivors back at the safe house, there was Stephanie, Rupert, their daughter Isobel, a guy named Carlos, and his little sister Kelly-Rae. She and Denny were the cherry-toppers of their spectacular group. "Denny. Denny? _AIDEN_." She called to her son who was staring off into space the whole time, still not having answered her question. "Yeah, mom?", he finally said, half startled. "Now would be a good time to get some sleep. We won't arrive at the prison for another hour and I need you to have some form of energy." He nodded at his mother before turning to face her, instead of the window, getting as comfortable as he possibly could with his seatbelt on. He closed his eyes and she knew immediately that he was sleeping when she heard his heavy breathing. She glanced down at her phone as it started to light up in her cup-holder. She picked it up. "Talk to me, _Sea bass_."


	2. Together

Sara turned around the low shoulder of the road a bit too sharply and woke Denny up, the boy looking around slightly startled before sitting up. "Are we there yet?", She looked over at him, wiping tears from her eyes with one of her hands while the other still gripped the steering wheel. "Mom?", he saw her distress before wiping the sleep from his eyes to be sure he was seeing correctly.

"We're almost there, baby." She said, glancing over at him a bit distracted for a moment. Denny smiled at her before he brought his eyes to the road. "Mom, look out!", the boy screamed and so did Sara, slamming her feet on the brakes as she nearly hit someone. A _living_, _breathing_, someone. The car jolted from the sudden stop and in that moment, Sara was lucky she'd always told her son to wear his seatbelt, even if the world had ended. She was certain that he would have flown through the windshield otherwise. She wore her seatbelt too, but her head still made impact against the tip of the steering wheel, a small gash on her forehead, bleeding profusely.

"Are you alright?", she said to her son immediately before hearing a knock at her window. He simply nodded, the fear evident in his eyes as he watched the blood trickling down her face. She turned away from him after giving a small pat of encouragement to his head and then she turned to the window, seeing a stocky black man. She lowered the window just a bit. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying enough attention", she said, about ready to get on her way. The man gave a small smile and accepted her apology, and just then she noticed a few more people coming to the road, from a nearby campfire in the woods that Sara just barely saw. In a way, it made since that people were there, what with the random line of cars at the side of the road. "Ma'am, you're bleeding pretty bad.", The man repeated for the third time, only, it was the first time Sara's heard him, having been too busy staring at the people who started forming in the distance. It had been a healthy amount of people.

"Yeah…", she finally said, moving her hand to touch the blood that was streaming down. The man who established himself as T-Dog asked her to unlock the door, and when she didn't, Denny did. As soon as the door opened, she staggered out, T-Dog helping her over to sit down on the ground. Denny was at her side instantly, after grabbing the slugger from the back seat, watching eagerly as the man got into their car and moved it to line up with the others. "You're damn near on empty, you know that?", She squinted up at T-Dog who was now accompanied by a dark-haired gentleman. "Yeah, I know.", She tore a piece of her sleeve and held it to her head to slow the bleeding. It didn't work too well.

Rick sighed before turning to look across the road, back at the others who were gathered together, worried looks on their faces. He looked back down at the two, "What's your names?" Sara looked as if she was going to pass out, so Rick raised his eyebrow at the boy. "I'm Denny, this is my Mom." She finally recovered enough to say, "Sarafina Greene." Glenn, who was coming over to see what had happened, overheard her words, curiosity getting the best of him, "As in Hershel Greene?"

She stood a bit uneasily, heart throbbing at the mention of her uncle who she presumed to be dead, just like her grandmother.

"_She's dead, Sars.", his voice said from the other end of the line._

_Sara was so stunned she almost didn't understand, "What?… how?"_

"_She fell asleep in the truck and…she just didn't wake up.", She could hear Sebastian's voice crack and she knew instantly that he'd shot her in the head to complete the process. "I'll be at the prison by midnight. Be there." , he said after moments of being quiet. She exhaled into the phone, trying to stay strong. "See you then."_

"Yeah, he was my uncle.", she chewed at her lip a bit, the woozy feeling being washed away by the rush of adrenaline she felt upon seeing the looks the three men gave to each other. "C'mon", Rick said, wrapping an arm around the woman to help her cross the road, Denny never leaving her side the whole time.

Somewhere between Rick putting his arm around her and finally reaching the other side of the road, Sara closed her eyes. She heard Rick give a slight laugh and she was slightly confused until she heard him speaking. "You'll never believe who we found." She opened her eyes and though her vision was slightly abstract, she heard the excitement of her son as he rushed to someone. "Maggie! Beth! Uncle Hershel!", She heard his cries and immediately fought the need to pass out. She needed to see those familiar faces. More than anything. Someone sat her down, she couldn't really tell who, but soon there was a cold rag at her head, from the sound of pouring she heard, she only assumed the water was from a bottle or a canteen of some sort.

"You look like hell", A female voice said. _Maggie_.

"Wish I could say the same, cousin.", Sara smirked dimly. "You would, if yer dumb ass opened yer eyes.", another voice said, and though a few people chuckled, her heart stopped. _That voice_. "Daryl?", she said opening her eyes, water trickling down her face from the rag, filling her with a twinge of pleasure and relief.

"The one and only.", he said in a gruff tone.

* * *

><p>It had been two hours of people fawning over her and staring at her and Sara still couldn't believe her eyes, trying to stay as perfectly still as she could while Hershel gave her gash some stitches. "So how do you two know each other, <em>again<em>?", Maggie asked for the second time, sensing how uncomfortable it made Sara because she would tense up every time someone even mentioned it. Beth gave a muffled laugh. "We went to high school together…sort of."

"Lie.", Daryl smirked from across the campfire. Sara waited good and ready until Hershel did the finishing touches on her stitches and moved out of her way to squint at Daryl. "How the hell is that a lie?", She asked in a harsher tone than she'd meant. "I'm eight years older than you, thas' how.", She disregarded his words.

"We _dated_.", He said to Maggie after a moment of silence.

Sara rolled her eyes, only showing a sincere smile when Denny came to sit beside her. She wrapped an arm around him. "Boy, you grew up fast.", Daryl said, slightly taken aback.

"Swear I was just thinkin' the same thing", Maggie said, the shock evident in her voice. "I remember when he was just a little tadpole and Sara was freakin' out 'cause she thought there was no way in hell she could raise a kid. I mean, she was only nineteen.", Maggie and Beth both laughed, recalling the memory. "Thank god she and Chris got married right away though, otherwise, Uncle Richard would've killed someone." Hershel gave a disapproving look, a small smile on his face all the while. Daryl just looked annoyed at the whole conversation.

Lori smiled a bit, she liked seeing at least some happiness amongst the group, they had been on the side of the road for at least two days , arguing and bickering. They were about to go scavenging for fuel just as the woman and her son showed up. "How old are you, Denny?", she finally asked, hoping that Carl could have someone his own age to play with. The boy looked at his mom before holding up two hands. "Wow, you're ten?", He simply nodded.

"I'm sorry.", Sara said to Lori. "Denny doesn't really talk much. He's always been like that. Only really talks to people he's known from growing up." Lori nodded, completely understanding, "Don't apologize, it's completely fine. I was just thinking that the boys would like to play some cards in the tent." Denny perked up a bit, "Whatchu got?", Everyone laughed at his outburst. "Just a bit of UNO.", Lori said, handing the deck of cards to Carl. "C'mon!", He said, gesturing for Denny to run after him to the tent, not too far from the adults.

Hershel got an idea about something that the group had been previously discussing, gesturing for Rick, Glenn, and T-Dog to come with him. Rick asked Daryl to stay put because he only needed Glenn and T-Dog, for they were the ones who were going on the dangerous hunt for fuel. "So, he's ten? When's his birthday?", Sara smiled at Lori, it was nice to have someone interested in her son. It was nice to have a fellow mom to talk to. "September sixteenth", She gave a coy smile. "That's nice, a fall baby." Lori's attempt at making small conversation had failed miserably, but Sara was happy she had tried, all the same.

"Hmm…", Maggie said after Lori and Carol walked away to do something else. Sara was in the middle of staring at a half-sleeping Daryl Dixon to take much notice until she felt the hard gaze of both Beth _and _Maggie upon her. "_Jeesus_…What?", She said to them, being slightly startled upon turning to face them.

"Denny is a Fall baby.", Maggie stated.

Sara rolled her eyes, "Thank you, captain obvi-", Maggie interrupted her again, "You told us you were pregnant in March, you got married, in April. Either Denny is two months premature or you've got some 'splainin' to do." Sara's eyes widened half of a fraction. "You're insane."

"Oh. My. God.", Maggie said, coming to the obvious realization. "_Him_? He's the guy from the Christmas party who you had that fling with. The one Chris caught you _kissing_?", Maggie looked in Daryl's direction, not believing that she didn't know this whole time that Daryl Dixon had anything to do with her older cousin. "Please. _Please_. Tell me I'm imagining all of this and that Denny's many years of _not _looking like Chris are not starting to unravel before my eyes."

Beth sat there, completely stunned. She looked between the two of them, not knowing who was worse with the temptation of men. "Maggie. You're imagining it. Chris was Denny's Dad."

Maggie squinted at the wording, "But did he father him? Did he fertilize one of your _bountiful_ eggs?", Sara looked almost at a loss for words, she felt sick. "Ew. _Really_? Yes. He did. Okay?", Sara stood up before realizing there was nowhere she could go to run away from the conversation. However, her phone vibrated, and she realized how much time she'd lost track of.

"Hey, Sea bass. What's up?"

"I think I just drove past your car, are you okay?", He asked, the concern deep in his voice as she could also hear the _whooshing _of an open window.

"Oh, yeah, Denny and I are fine, but just loop around to where you saw my car. I sort of broke down. I'm at a campsite with Maggie, Beth, Hershel, And Daryl- with a few _others _too.", She heard him sigh, she knew Sebastian usually hated a change in plans, but she could hear him revving down the road now. He stopped, lining up with the other cars. He hopped out and made his way deeper into the woods, following the dim light from the camp fire's dying embers, gun in a holster at his side.

"You alri'?", He asked again upon seeing the stitches on her forehead.

"Yeah, Uncle Hershel fixed me up real nice." She examined his blue eyes and his sandy brown hair. He was the dirtiest she'd ever seen him. She exhaled, remembering just how lucky she was to be seeing him and dove straight into his arms, sobs escaping her. Sara didn't even know she'd wanted to cry, but it was happening. Over her head, he smiled faintly at his cousin's Beth and Maggie, trying to assure them that everything would be alright.

He pulled away from her after a moment of holding her, "Where's Denny?" Sara saw the genuine concern in Sebastian's eye. Every since Denny was born, all Sebastian did was look out for him. Sebastian looked out for Denny, in many ways, better than Chris ever had. She appreciated it, she really did. "He's in that tent over there", she gestured to it, "Playing UNO with another boy around his age." Sebastian glanced at the tent and then nodded in approval. As his eyes were on the path to finding her face again, he paused and smirked.

Sara looked up at his face with slight confusion before she followed the path of his vision. He was looking at Daryl, who was well asleep now, snoring his brains out. She smirked a bit, remembering that Daryl only snored when he was sleeping on his back or when he was really tired. "_Don't_", She said, recovering from her memories, turning to see the devilish expression on Sebastian's face. "_Sebastian_."

Before she could even do anything about it, Sebastian was well on his way around the campfire to where Daryl was sitting. She covered here eyes, not really wanting to see how this would play out. Sebastian hoisted himself onto Daryl, straddling him. Sara could hear the groans of a groggy Daryl and instantly she wanted to die. You would think that in the apocalypse, Sebastian would at least lay off of messing with Daryl. If you did, you'd be thinking _wrong_.

"Get the fuck off me!", Daryl said harshly, even after he became aware of who it was. "Sebastian I will cut yer balls off! Get off uh me!", Daryl squirmed and Sebastian only laughed.

"_Wassdat_?", Sebastian said as he made it virtually impossible for Daryl to move. Beth and Maggie giggled, which only angered Daryl more. Sara was desperately holding in her laughter when Rick, Hershel, Glenn, and T-Dog came to see what the hell was occurring. "What's going on?"

"Just boys being boys, Rick.", She burst into laughter, watching Sebastian tremble with his own uncontrollable laughter after finally managing to get Daryl to say the phrase _Darylina wants your sweet lovin'_. It was kind of like Sebastian's own person game of 'Say Uncle'. Daryl shoved Sebastian off of him, muttering something that Sara was sure to be politically incorrect, before getting out of his chair and storming off somewhere, crossbow in hand.

"Look, now you've got him all riled up.", Rick said, a small smile on his lips.

Sara didn't think that it was a time to be doing much playing, it was time for serious thinking. The group that had aided her and reunited her with her family were in desperate need of gasoline and a damn good plan. There were so many of them and even Hershel was stunned to see Sebastian, Sara knew it was because traveling in big groups wasn't always the best idea when huge hoards were around. The group apparently had learned that the hard way, what with Beth still mourning the loss of Jimmy who had lived next door to them their whole lives. It was always quite obvious to Sara, as well as to Maggie, that Beth would end up with Jimmy. Obviously god had other plans for Beth's heart, though.

"You gonna go after him?", Sebastian asked, nudging Sara forward.

Sara shook her head and moved out of his reach so he couldn't keep bothering her. "Go on, I'll watch Denny." Sebastian folded his arms, waiting for her to get to walking in the direction Daryl went, it was almost like an old western when men challenged each other to gun duals. Sara sure as hell knew when to stand down, she wasn't about to get into this with her older cousin, not now anyway. "Fine", she muttered, obviously irritated by the turn of events. Sebastian came into the camp, made a mess, now she was left to pick up the pieces of said mess. The mess being Daryl Dixon and his man _feelings_.

She picked up her father's old slugger and wandered off in the same direction as Daryl. After a few moments of walking, she found herself resting against a tree, trying to catch her breath. She hadn't eaten since that morning and she didn't think the loss of her blood earlier was really helping the case. She couldn't really blame anyone for her lack of eating though. She was a mother, most of the food she had she gave to her son.

"Lookin' for me, huh?", Daryl said, coming up beside her, startling her half to death. She nodded at him, sweat covering her brow and drenching her black tank top. She scraped her converses against the tree trunk she was perched upon, trying to get a bit of mud off of the bottoms. "I had no choice. Sebastian made me."

"That sounds like somethin' yer dickhead cousin would do.", Daryl smirked. Sara laughed lightly, it was a quiet sort of laugh, the kind that Daryl missed. She grinned for a moment before bringing up something she'd wanted to for a while since she got to their site. "Speaking of _dickhead_. Where's Merle?", She asked, concern lacing her words. She really hoped she wasn't bringing up a sore subject. Daryl never took kindly to sore subjects.

Daryl scratched at his head for a moment before staring into her eyes. "We got separated…" Though Sara heard the sadness in his voice, she could see it didn't really touch his eyes. She kinked an eyebrow before nodding slowly. "I hope he's alright. Lydia and I got separated too… and Lindy….", She trailed off, knowing the pain showed on her face the moment he stepped closer to comfort her. "I'm sorry.", he said, his hands on both of her arms, cross bow around his shoulder now.

"It's okay, really. I still have Stephanie. I'd rather have one sibling left, than none.", The moment she said it, she wished she could take it back. She had seen that she'd hit Daryl _hard_. "Oh… Daryl.", He dismissed it automatically, the pain still on his face. He felt awkward just standing there while she was just expressing her feelings so he grabbed her up by the collar and pulled her into a hug. She melted into him, the guilt still ringing through her.

"I missed this.", Sara spoke against his chest and it made him smile. He said nothing though so she took that as her cue to just shut up and enjoy the hug that he was risking his life in the middle of the dark woods to give her. She felt that she owed a lot of explanations for most of the past but that could wait until they were safe and they were all together. That's when a light went off in her head. _Together_. She pulled away from Daryl and he raised an eyebrow in concern as he watched her rubbing the tears from her face and out of her eyes. "Wasswrong?", He asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice as he now watched her fiddling through her pockets for something.

"I have to call Charlotte."


	3. Path Of Uncertainty

A/N: i realized that i'd made Sara's cousin named Charlotte and Sara is also coming from Charlotte, SC- the place. So please, no one get the two confused. I would just change her cousin's name, but at this point i feel like, it shouldn't matter. I, myself, laughed my ass off when i realized what i had done. But i guess we can just give her cousin a nickname and from this chapter on, i'll call her cousin Lotty. Just to make this all less confusing.

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><p>"<em>Merry Christmas, Dad.", The nineteen year old said, a smile on her face as her father held a mistletoe above their heads and leaned in to plant a loving kiss on her temple. The girl giggled a bit, standing there in her red and white striped sweater and an elf hat, the bells on her hat jingling with each sway her body would give.<em>

"_Where's that lawyer boyfriend of yers?", Her father asked, ignoring all the merriment of the surrounding party-goers. It had taken a moment for his question to register, Sara having been in the middle of wishing her cousins Maggie and Beth could be there. "He's not a lawyer yet, Dad. And we had a fight. I think he broke up with me.", She said the last part with a dark undertone, hating that she had to tell her father this. And though he simply nodded, she could see the spark of disappointment in his eyes._

_He had already said they were alike in so many ways, maybe he was right. After her parent's break up three years ago, her Dad was a mess. He was the king of being dumped. She, along with everyone else who knew him, was shocked he lasted as long as he had with her mother. His current wife, Sylvia, wasn't like most women he'd ever been with though, She was a therapist so it was much easier for him to work through problems than it had ever been. She smiled, thinking of how happy her Dad was when a slightly bony shoulder bumped into her. Sara almost lost her temper before discovering it was only her best friend, Lydia, returning with some holiday eggnog. "You will not guess who just walked through your front door."_

_Sara sighed playfully and looked over at the pixie-faced Blonde with short cropped hair and an elf hat on. It seemed that every time something 'big' happened, Lydia was always witness to it. Sara rolled her eyes and gave in to the game, "Nope. Who?" Lydia grinned devilishly, and Sara began to lose her patience. The other girl slurped her eggnog through a straw seductively just to tease the brunette, knowing her best friend had never been one for patience. "Daryl Dixon.", No sooner than Lydia had said it, there he was, standing in the doorway of Sara's living room. Their eyes locked and she froze, not because of some stupid girly reason, but only because it had been a year since she'd left him. A year. She didn't know what to say to him, how to be around him. Part of her always told herself that if it had not been for getting accepted into Michigan State University, she would've stayed. She would have married him, if he'd have her._

_Marriage wasn't really Daryl's thing and she wasn't even sure it was hers, but she knew if she'd stayed, she would have ended up pregnant and sooner rather than later, the would've had to wed. Being married to Daryl would've just been a plus, she could've spent her whole life with him, no huge spectacle needed. She felt someone elbowing her and immediately she left her thoughts, finding Daryl closer than previously and speaking to her. Sara looked up at him, a bit too much of innocence in her eyes. "Can I talk to ya? In private?", He said again, losing a bit of patience himself. The only reason he hadn't lost all of his patience was because he knew the girl tended to space out about a twelfth of the time she was awake. "Sure", she said softly, noticing her Dad had disappeared to somewhere else. That was a good thing too, he wouldn't approve of her going anywhere or doing anything with Daryl Dixon. ' If his brother is trouble, he's trouble', her father would always say, in his overdramatically deep voice._

_Daryl dragged her up to her old bedroom, it was literally her favorite place in the house. It was probably what she missed most while she was away at college, no normal human being loved a dorm room. "What's this all about?", She said, sitting down on her bed, her hands smoothing over her skinny jeans as he closed the door behind them and locked it. "Wassthis 'bout?", he repeated her, chewing on his lip nervously. She just nodded, not feeling the need to repeat herself again when he'd already done it. "It's about you an' yer fancy college boyfriend.", Daryl said, pacing her bedroom floor. Sara kinked her eyebrow at him, taking a moment to look him over. It became obvious to her that he was jealous and she nearly laughed herself off of the edge of her bed, which was saying a lot because she was sitting, not laying._

"_Wasso funny?", Daryl said in an angry tone, feeling that she was making fun of him. Sara straightened up, keeping all of her laughter in check before she spoke again, "Fancy college boyfriend?", she gave a small snort but was careful to make sure he knew she wasn't laughing at him, she knew how sensitive he could be. "That's funny, cause I'm pretty sure he dumped me. I'm also pretty sure he isn't nowhere near fancy. He's trashy, he just dresses it up nicely."_

"_Are you fuckin' wit me?", He said a bit too quickly. She shook her head before starting to laugh again, remembering the face he made just moments earlier. "You should have seen your face, though. God, you were pissed."_

_He was at her side instantly, a smirk on his face as he grabbed her by the jaw. "Yer laughin' at me?", She smiled at his gesture, loving the pressure he applied all the same. "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not.", She said simply. He yanked her forward and kissed her without a sound and she didn't fight it, in fact, she did the opposite of fight it. Before she knew what happened, he was laid back on her bed and she was straddling him._

"_We can't do this.", She breathed, breaking the kiss. He groaned out in annoyance, hands still gripping at her hips. "Why the hell not?", She realized she was as upset about it as he was. She wanted it as much as he did, so his question was absolutely, one-hundred percent valid. "We broke up.", She justified it all in that moment, or at least tried to, only to be dragged down again. His words hit her head on, his voice soft and defiant when he said, "Because ya had to go be a genius at college an' I din't wanna be holdin' ya back, so I letcha leave.", He looked up at her, eyes full of pain and sincerity all rolled into one._

_He moved up to kiss her and it was all down hill from there, what with the nibbling and biting and the shedding of clothes._

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><p>THUD.<p>

"What the-?", Sara woke to the sound of someone kicking her and Sebastian's tent, she looked over at Denny, who was still fast asleep, before she got up and crawled to the opening of the tent. She peeked out, only to be greeted by a smiling Sebastian. "Up an' at 'em, sweetheart."

Sara gave a sigh of slight relief when she saw Rick and Daryl outside of the tent too, now knowing it wasn't just one of Sebastian's sick and twisted pranks. "You better be lucky that Denny's a sound sleeper, Sebastian Greene", She grumbled to him and he just gave a child-like smile that he knew she couldn't stay mad at.

"What time is it?", she whined, climbing out of the tent, zipping it back up behind her. "It's 'bout seven a.m. an' Lotty's here.", Sara perked up a bit, "Calm down, she's sleeping it all off. Won't be up fer hours."

Sara felt a slight breeze and shivered, now remembering she was only in a tank and some boxers. She wasn't really too self-conscious about the fact until she caught Daryl looking at her. Like _really _looking at her. "Is that all you wanted to tell me?", She finally managed to say, teeth chattering a bit. Sebastian wore a blank expression and Daryl smacked him on the back of the head. "Oh, an' I was walking past yer car. Yer walkie talkie went off an' I answered it. It was Lydia. I told her where we are an' she should be here in a bit.", Sara's face literally warmed, she could feel it. For the first time in a long time, she was actually happy about something. She dove into Sebastian's chest and hugged to him tightly. He patted her back a few times, laughs escaping the forty-something year old man.

Sara was sitting in a foldable chair, swatting away at the few mosquitoes who had the audacity to be out that early in the day. She was sure that she was much too excited to go back to sleep, even though, apparently, her dreams were also falling under the same category of overwhelming excitement. She glanced at Daryl who just so happened to already be looking at her, swatting away like a maniac. "Wha' the hell are yew doin'?", Daryl said, pausing from cleaning his arrows to glance at her. She just shrugged, turning her head to the sky, the sun still wasn't up yet.

"I had a dream about you last night…", She said, wrapped up in a blanket, sitting in the exact spot she'd been in for the last thirty minutes of silently watching Daryl clean and re-clean his arrows. Sebastian was nice enough to throw a blanket at her head while she was in the process. After that she just watched the sunrise for a bit before going right back to watching the man across from her. "Wha' did yew say?", Daryl looked up at her, having stopped what he was doing for the second time in a row because of some random out burst, courtesy of Sara.

Just as she was about to explain herself, a wild Lydia appeared. Sara hopped out of her lawn chair and leapt at the other woman. "Oh my god, Lyd.", The two stood hugging for what seemed like an hour, at first sobbing, then saying how much they'd missed each other. Daryl watched them, her previous words still playing in his head, without much he could do to silence them. Though he was still curious as to what the hell type of dream she could have been having about him, he shook the thought away and placed it with a fact; The fact that he was happy for her. She'd had her best friends, all of her family, and her remaining sibling back somewhere in a safe house she'd been telling him about just a few hours earlier in the middle of the woods where they shared their first meaningful encounter in years. Daryl Dixon was happy things were looking up for _his _Sara, for the girl who hadn't changed a bit, despite what she might think.

In a way, Daryl felt like he was back to being that _good fer nothin' _twenty-five year old that her father would warn her about time and time again. He remembered it all a little too well, the night Sara invited him over to her house for dinner to announce she'd gotten accepted into MSU, her dream college and home of the Spartan's. Daryl was so happy for her, even when she said she wasn't sure if she was going to go and if she did, she'd have to come back every break and holiday to see _her _Daryl. From there, the night was quickly shot to hell when her father said loudly and clearly that…

"…_Daryl Dixon ain't the type of man my daughter marries. 'Specially not my oldest. I 'ccepted this to be some sorta phase that you'd grow outta, Sarafina.", Daryl chewed his lip and tried to ignore the older man and his harsh words, it wasn't as if he wasn't used to being put down to his face. He was about ready to break when he felt Sara tugging around to hold his hand beneath the table. He looked over at her, a bit of shock on his face, wondering why she didn't agree with her Dad. After all, the man was right, Daryl never thought he was good enough for Sara._

_Instead of praising her father's words, Sara gave him the man an unrelenting look and came back at him with an iron fist. "Don't talk about him like he isn't here! He's right here!", This didn't go too well with everyone else at the table who instantly did everything in their power to calm the two feuding family members. "You're wrong Daddy, you know it. Daryl loves me, he takes care of me. And when I was getting over you and mom's divorce, two years ago, he kept my head on straight. He single-handedly made sure I didn't end up in a correctional facility at sixteen for beating someone over the head with a beer bottle every time my temper got the best of me."_

"_You'd better hold yer tongue, girly.", Daryl flinched at how much Mr. Greene sounded like his brother in that moment before his hands were acting quickly to grab hold of Sara's quivering hand. " No, don't pull that bullshit, Daddy. You raised Lindy and I to not see the horrible shit that goes on in the world. You taught us to not judge books by the cover, and that's exactly what you're doing to Daryl. Just because he's had a hard life and was blessed with a dickhead for a brother-"_

_Her father banged his fist against the table hard, "Dammit, Sarafina! You're going to that school, and you ain't gonna see this man no more." She stood up, slapping her plate of food off of the table, "You can't tell me what to do! You were barely there for me, my entire life, and now at the tail-end of my childhood, you want to come in and try to call the shots? That's not how it works, Dick.", She said to him, using his nickname simultaneously as a euphemism. She reached her hand out for Daryl and he stood, taking grasp of it. "I'm moving in with Daryl."_

_The two left the house in a hurry, Sara having decided she didn't want anything from her bedroom because none of it was worth taking. Daryl glanced at her, seeing the indescribable happiness that painted her features and he had to admit that it stunned him. Why was she so happy? She'd just walked out on her entire family and all she had left was him. Why would that make anyone happy? He didn't understand._

"_Are ya crazy?", He said to her breathlessly, face burning red from both anger and embarrassment. Sara stopped smiling and laughing and just stared at him, right away, he could tell he'd upset her. "What? No. I'm happy because now it doesn't have to be so hard. Now I can spend the rest of my life with you.", She moved her arms around his waist, leaning in to kiss him but all he did was pull away. Sara's face started to turn red, her eyes filled with misunderstanding and what Daryl was sure to be oncoming tears. "Why are you doing this?", He didn't answer her at first and she was left speechless in the cold summer night air._

_Daryl sniffed and shifted a bit awkwardly. He couldn't look her in the eyes, so he just stared at her cream colored dinner dress with the black lace print. "You ain't leavin' yer family fer me. You ain't throwin' away yer whole life.", She looked up at him, the tears overflowing now as she became slightly hysterical, "I don't want them, I want you! Daryl…I want you." , she said the last part in a hushed tone and it killed him. He looked toward her house to see Mr. Greene looked out the window at them, standing there in the front yard. The man didn't look happy, but that was probably because he was witnessing something he regretted wanting to happen so badly. Daryl letting Sara leave him would imprint a scar on her heart and Mr. Greene was, only then, realizing it._

_He looked back at Sara now, who stood there sobbing. When he tried to reach for her, she jerked away. "Don't touch me.", He shifted again, a sigh escaping him as he watched her, his heart breaking in two just as he knew hers was sure to be doing as well. "I'm so sorry, but one day…yer gonna thank me fer this. Besides, this isn't me leavin' you. It's you leavin' me for college. I'm just tellin' you it's okay to let go. You don't think I see the way you look at me when we're out with friends. You look at me like I'll be the death of ya an' rightly so.", She raised both her hands in defeat, he was right, but that was only because she had always told him she'd only seen two paths for her life; either she stayed with Daryl for as long as her heart desired to or she left him, moving along with an unhappy life that was never in the cards for her. Those were always the two paths. She'd chosen one, the first one, the right one. But now he was helping her seal the deal on the supposedly ' wrong' path, knowing she'd never be able to choose a path of uncertainty, too afraid to leave a man she'd know her entire life. Too afraid of change._

"_Sara…", He said, but she just stepped farther away from him before she rounded him completely, heading toward the house. "I never wanna see you again, Daryl Dixon." And just like that, she was gone. She left him standing out there, and just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, Mr. Greene caught up to him as he made his way to his truck._

"_Aye kid, wait up.", The forty-something year old man said, Daryl turning to attention, much to his own dismay._

"_Yessir?" It took a minute for Mr. Greene to grasp just exactly what he wanted to say, but Daryl was in no rush. He felt like shit and he'd probably just go drown himself in his sorrows at O'Toole's once he left. "I may not really like you or understand just what it is tha' you and my daughter have…"_

"_Had.", Daryl corrected, receiving a nod from Mr. Greene before he continued onward with where his words were going, "But…I do have to 'mit tha' I was, in fact, wrong 'bout you. You had 'nough balls to let her go, to keep her from making what you must also see as a bad decision." Daryl clenched his teeth, making his jaw bone protrude a bit. He looked at Mr. Greene, impatiently, wondering where the hell this conversation was going._

_The older man pressed on, "I'd be glad to tell her tha' she can still see you, even if she goes away to college. I may be crazy but I think you deserve a fighting chance…what with not being able to be selfish when it comes to my Sarafina."_

_Daryl weighed his options carefully, knowing what choice he had to make, instantly. He glanced up at her front bedroom window, upon seeing movement in his peripheral, Sara was looking straight down at him, her eyes full of pain and tears. He never wanted to cause her that again so, he shook his head a bit before bringing his full attention to the older man. "What chance do I got? She'll meet someone else. She deserves…better.", Daryl opened his car door and the older man stepped out of the way._

_As Daryl started up the engine and slammed his car door shut, he looked out the window and over at Sara's father one last time, "Don't worry. Ya won't be seein' much of me no more."_

With that said, he drove off into the night, and he didn't see Sara for seventeen months. Those were the worst seventeen months of his life, even more so than the past few years, watching her being married to someone else and raising a child by said someone else. But none of that mattered. None of it mattered because he would always love Sara and he knew somewhere inside she would always love him. She would've never left him on her own, no matter how much she wanted to or thought about it, and that was exactly why he had to help her out.

"_Darylina_", Sebastian cooed, and Daryl broke out of his trance to find that Lydia and Sara were now sitting down across from him and apparently Sebastian had been asking him something. "Wha' do ya want, _assclown_?", he said in a gruff tone.

"Lydia here wanted to know where the last place ya seen Merle was. Said she seen a group of men 'ttackin' this poor man an' his girls an' swores she saw Merle wit 'em, only he had one hand.", Lydia nodded at the way Sebastian repeated her whole story, word for word before adding, "I barely made it out of there. I hid in the trees, one of 'em heard me. They just left me be, I guess."

Sara watched Daryl carefully, waiting for his reaction. She could tell it would've been catastrophic, but for some reason he just put his arrows away and sat up straighter. Their eyes caught with each other and Sara was determined not to look away first but folded when she remembered she still had some explaining to do whenever she and Daryl could finally be alone. "I last saw the bastard in Atlanta. Stole our damn truck after sawin' his damn hand off."

"Well I heard this group say they were headin' to Augusta. Which is why I'm hella glad they're takin' the back roads there, away from this one. I'm also hella glad I got to ya before ya reached there and ran into 'em.", The skinny blonde with the pixie face and short cropped hair said in the direction of her best friend.

Sara simply nodded before looking at Daryl, who looked deep in thought.

"Where's Rick?", He finally said, directing his words at no one in particular.

Sebastian thought for a moment, "Think he went with T-Dog and Glenn to gather fuel early this morning after we woke Sara up. Why?"

"I need to tell him I think we should go to Charlotte."

This sparked Sara's attention, only because it's what she wanted them to do, from the moment she got there. The safe house had more than enough room for all of them, and it was safe, beyond the measure of doubt. She just never wanted to step on anyone's toes with the idea, namely Rick's.

"Sounds like a plan", Sara finally said, her heart doing back-flips when her words earned a wink and a smile from Daryl.


	4. No Room For Bromance

A/N: So, hopefully there are no spelling errors in this **BECAUSE** i checked. Usually they only appear because my keyboard likes to be a douche bag and leave off letters at the end of a word or something, or i'm just being slow and put a certain word twice or where another word is supposed to be in place of it, so if you see it before i get a chance to double and triple check, just ignore it because i was kind of rushed toward the end. please let me know if i fucked something up, also, i feel like Daryl is a bit unusual this chapter, i don't know if it's just because of Sara being around or their hug in the forest that's thrown him off but i tried to keep him as Daryl-ish as possible. Also, i don't know if it's just me but this is not my all time favorite chapter, let me know what you guys think. **E****njoy****.**

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><p>"So lemme get this straight…", Rick paused, eyes lingering on both Daryl and Sebastian. "You're proposing that we just drop everything we're doing, stop going farther south, and head back towards a way we've already been? You want to back-track, that's what you're telling me?"<p>

Daryl stood there, chewing on his lip, wondering if Rick was actually finding the idea insane or if he was actually considering it. "We already have a place to stay. A permanent place.", Sebastian interjected and Rick swayed back on his heels as he thought more deeply. The more he thought, the more it sounded like a great idea. "And Sara is alright with this?"

Sebastian nodded at his words, seeing as how Daryl remained perfectly quiet, only saying something once he glanced behind him at Sara. She was sitting with Lotty and Lydia and brushing leaves and dirt out of Denny's hair. "She said it would be fine with her and the others who stay there. The house is big enough, it's windows don't let out sound or light, it has acres of gated up land in the middle of the woods of Charlotte. Not to mention, they've got unlimited food sources.", Daryl was rambling now and the more he said, the more Rick was leaning towards being on board with his new right hand man.

"What do you think they're saying?", Lotty said, her raspy voice immediately catching Sara's attention. "I don't know", the younger cousin said briskly, brushing frantically at her young son's tufts of dirty-blonde hair. She didn't really understand why the child never put up much fuss but after all, it was his own fault for getting twigs and such caught in his hair. "But, we do know they're probably trying to get Rick to let us go to Charlotte.", Lydia said. Lotty raised an eyebrow at Lydia and then looked at Sara to see of the words were true. Sara only nodded.

"What's his _deal_, anyway?", Maggie cut in, coming from behind the three women, having heard mostly everything. Immediately, Sara noticed Beth wasn't accompanying Maggie which probably meant she was still somewhere resting. They had all had a pretty late night. "What's whose deal?", Lotty asked curiously, even though she knew the words were aimed at Sara. Maggie pursed her lips, sitting on a lawn chair next to Lotty, who was seated in one next to Sara. Lydia just stood, expressing the pain that Denny didn't as she watched Sara battling with his tangled dirty mess of hair. Maggie nodded in Daryl's direction and instantly Lotty started laughing. "Oh, sweetie, if you don't know by now…you won't ever understand."

Sara rolled her eyes before huffing in frustration, "Jesus Christ, boy. What do you get into? Do you just pick crap up off the ground and _shove _it in your hair?" Denny just stayed quiet and gave a slight hunch of his shoulders, blue eyes shaded with indifference.

"Alls I'm sayin' is, it's better than goin' off into the unknown and gettin' ourselves killed. We'd be safe. Probably forever.", Sebastian nodded in agreement, taking all Daryl said into account, hoping that Rick was doing the same. "_If _we go, what if things don't go as planned? What then? We'll be out of fuel, out of food, then what?", Rick asked, considering the safety of not only his family, but the remaining survivors as well. Daryl rubbed his face, sighing upon discovering his words hadn't been getting through to Rick completely. He decided that he could up the stakes, "Look, we ain't got the luxury of restin' here on our asses. Randall's group is headin' in our direction an' if they find us, you know what could happen.", Daryl said gruffly and Rick's eyes went wide. Sebastian smirked lightly at his friend's adjustment of the truth.

"So are you still in love with him _or_?", Maggie kept pressing the issue and Sara really couldn't understand why the girl wasn't off frolicking in some flowers with her Asian boy toy. It wasn't often that Sara let things get to her or creep under her skin. She smirked lightly as she finished the touches to her son's hair, "This might sound crazy, but you think you could restrain talking about this in front of Denny, _maybe_?", She spoke sarcastically and in a voice that wasn't her usual. It was more of a California surfer type of voice and it made Lydia giggle. Maggie only squinted and then watched as Denny scurried away. "He's gone, now answer the question.", Sara's eyes crossed slightly in frustration before she huffed and gave in to answering even though she stalled as long as she possibly could. Why did everyone and their mother's not understand that Sara _hated _reminiscing about Daryl. "I honestly couldn't answer that if I tried. Part of me will always love him, of course. But I just don't think about _us _like that anymore. I haven't in a long time."

Lydia cocked her head to the side, having always been able to tell when her best friend was lying. "And by long time, you mean a few hours, right?" Sara flushed, she hadn't meant to but she did. Her cheeks didn't burn red because she'd been caught, but because Lydia was spot-on. Instantly, her thoughts roamed back to her vivid dream of that fuzzy Christmas night and she glanced straight ahead to find Daryl's eyes on her from a few yards away.

After the men finished talking everyone started to pack, not that they'd unloaded much in the few days they'd been there. Hershel and his daughters accompanied Glenn to loading up the three cars of which they'd siphoned gas for and decided to take- Sara's Explorer, Rick's SUV, and a pick-up truck that had been declared Glenn's. Sebastian was taking Lydia and Lotty with him in his car, since the two women hadn't managed to siphon a drop of gasoline on their way to Sara, along with Beth and Hershel. In Sara's car would be Denny, Carol, T-Dog, and Daryl- who's motorcycle would be hauled in Glenn's pick-up bed. Rick decidedly would take Carl and Lori with him in the SUV and Maggie would, of course, ride shot gun in the pick-up. It would be at least, a two day journey, one and a half, if they drove on the back roads fast enough. Hopefully, they didn't run into any looters like Lydia suggested they might a few hours earlier.

"Sara, you going to be alright leading the way?", Rick said in a soft and considerate tone as he approached her from behind, almost startling her to death. She was trying to get a signal on her Verizon, hoping like hell that the signal waves from Myrtle Beach weren't all of a sudden too far away. Rick gave her an apologetic smile as she brought her attention to him. "Well, There really isn't any other way of us getting there. I mean, Sebastian knows where it is, but I'd rather he not be the one leading us, no matter how much sense of security I'm lacking in." She shrugged her shoulders to make sure that he understood the decision was unanimous before watching his walk away. She watched him return to the SUV, watching the way Lori eyed him. She hadn't really noticed it much until now but when Lori was alone with Rick, there was this sort of unease about her, like they'd had a fight not too long ago. Sara immediately decided to pretend she didn't notice anything once the other woman caught her looking, besides, it was none of her business anyways- even if now, because of Lori's big mouth, Maggie suspected the true origins of Denny's conception.

"You can ride with me if you want, _Darylina. _I've got one seat left and it's got your name on it.", Hearing Sebastian talking broke her out of her cell phone crisis. "You don't want to ride with Sara, anyway. Trust me. Girl can't drive worth _shit_."

Daryl squinted his eyes almost simultaneously along with Sara squinting her own. "Naw, thas' okay. I'll be fine.", He mutter but Sebastian wouldn't drop it and Sara knew instantly that Daryl was becoming agitated. "Sea bass, just leave him alone.", she interjected, walking over to them with her cell phone in hand, holding it like an injured little animal. Sebastian scowled lightly, before begging Daryl to agree that Sara couldn't drive and to just ride in the car with him. Sara knew there could only be one of two things responsible for Sebastian's little fit; He was either doing all this to try to pry their feelings for each other to the surface. Or maybe he just really genuinely missed Daryl, or any friendship in general- maybe Daryl was Sebastian's Lydia. His _best friend_.

Daryl gave an annoyed sigh, "Look! I ain't sayin' she can't drive. Hell, I'm the one who taught her." Sara smiled faintly at the fact he'd remembered it, but no one noticed and Daryl just continued to rant, "If ya wanna talk to me, just wait 'til we get to the safe house, have all the time in the world then. Sissy ass.." Daryl muttered the last bit and Sebastian gave a grunt of defeat, "Fine then, I din't wanna talk to ya anyway!", he yelled, watching as Daryl walked away from him. Daryl was about to brush past Sara and then he stopped, eyes ominous upon meeting hers. "Whas' wrong with it?", he averted his gaze from her eyes, once she widened them a bit in surprise, and down to the phone cupped in her hands. "No signal. Tell me you know how to fix that?" He nodded a bit, "Come with me."

* * *

><p>"<em>Daryl, you're doing it wrong.", the newly eighteen year old cried out from the passenger seat, a bit of anxiety caught in her throat.<em>

_Daryl smirked back at her, eyes wild with intent. "Think you could do any better than me?", Sara simply nodded and he gestured for her to come over and take the wheel. He put the car in park and dropped his hands from the steering wheel and splayed his legs apart, the girl gave him a questioning look as she waited in the passenger seat, thinking he would move out of her way. He glanced at her, "Hell, I ain't movin'. Best way to stop ya from killin' us both is if I'm in the driver's seat too." She rolled her eyes and crawled over to sit between his legs on the bit of seat she could manage to feel. Daryl sat up straighter and she shifted slightly at the feel of his breath against her neck before he was right at her ear. "Now the objective is gettin' round them cones without knockin' 'em over. Now the reason this is so __**hard**__, ya ask? 'Cause of this damn field we're conveniently located in." _

_Sara smirked at his words, it didn't take a rocket scientist to know he was toying with her, mocking her in some way. She'd known Daryl for two years now and though he'd gotten her out of a shit load of bar fights, had taken care of her when she needed it, and picked her up from school when she didn't ask, she wasn't quite sure why he hadn't made a move on her. Their age difference was there but it wasn't a big deal, she was perfectly legal in the state of Georgia and she knew he liked her. She scowled lightly, trying to shake the thoughts from her head before she stepped on the gas pedal, tapping it lightly. The action seemed weird considering it didn't help for much but to rev up the engine because the car was still in park. She moved her hand to the stick and Daryl's was right along with it. His touch shocked her at first but she seemed to be the only one freaking out about it, knowing she shouldn't have. "Daryl.", He moved his fingers between the spaces of her own and popped the stick shift into drive, knowing she was watching the movement. He ignored his name being called, probably too focused on the driving lesson at hand. _

_Why was she so nervous, Daryl had touched her before, but only when they danced or joked and there was something different about this. "Okay, ya start driving and make normal conversation with me, alrigh'?", She nodded at his words but said nothing after a few moments of veering in and out of the way of the orange cones in the Hayberry field. All she could think of was how all her friends and cousins we just a few yards away at the barn party Elizabeth Hayberry was throwing. Thinking back, she couldn't even remember what made her come out her with Daryl, "Here, I'll start.", he said gruffly, "Wha' happened with you and Louis two months ago?". The question caught her off guard and she tapped the gas a bit too hard, only to slam on the breaks, nearly knocking a cone over. Daryl smacked right into her due to the force of the jolt and she blushed. Once she recovered the embarrassment, sure she heard Daryl chuckling, she replied, "I don't really know. He said I had anger issues and that as good as the sex was he couldn't stay with me.", she sighed lightly before rolling her eyes, turning the steering wheel ever so lightly._

_Daryl grew quiet and she felt bad for joking like that, knowing full well it made him uncomfortable. "He didn't really say that…about the sex, I mean. But I'm in high school and in high school, you hear things. I actually think he did me a favor though, or maybe two, actually." Daryl's curiosity peaked at Sara's words, "And whas' dat?" _

_She put the car in park, realizing she'd gone around every cone successfully and would surely be at the DMV tomorrow to tell the guy who failed her twice to 'suck it'. When Daryl noticed he only smiled before going back to waiting for her answer, which he still hadn't received while he watched her shift to sit on his right thigh, her body facing him. He placed his arm around her waist and sat up straighter to listen to her, knowing words were about to come. "Well, he took my virginity, so that's a load off of the next guy I'm with because I won't be hoarding sex like it's the holy grail. And then of course, he clued me in to how stupid high school guys truly are, I think I'll just start dating middle school guys now.", She teased and he pulled her in closer to him. Her stomach did cartwheels and her eyelashes fluttered with disbelief as she rested her palm on his face. She was first to lean in and he let her lead for a lot longer than she expected him to. His lips were soft and demanding against hers, then they were quick and calculated as they moved down her jaw line and all the way down to her neck. _

_Daryl wasn't rushing, to an on-looker, it might have seemed that way but he wanted to savor the moment, especially since he was a bit buzzed from being at the party. In the back of his mind he wondered how he'd drive her home, knowing that at this rate, her cousins and friends would be gone from the party when they were finished but then he remembered that the buzz of sex was way stronger than the buzz of alcohol. His hands were already busy with undoing her pants, her plaid shirt that was missing fabric to cover her midsection would be next to go, but Daryl was still in no rush. Sara pulled Daryl closer, somehow being able to maneuver him between her legs as she unzipped and unbuttoned his pants, he took the hint and laid her down on the bench seat of the pick-up truck. After removing her sandals, he yanked her pants down and though his face was shaded with deep concentration as he hunched above her, she could tell he was as excited as she was._

_After pulling her pants completely off, Daryl focused on himself, looking down at her as he pulled his shirt over his head to reveal a slightly sun-tanned torso and boy, did his fair skin tan beautifully. She bit down on her lower lip at the sight of his slightly messed hair and he threw his shirt to the floor of the truck to keep her jeans some company. He tugged at the hem of his pants and she could hear his belt clinking and clanking so she hoisted herself up to rest on her elbows, her tufts of long and wavy dark brown hair falling into her face. He managed to get his pants to his ankles and decided that it was far enough without the trouble of taking off his boots. He hovered over her now, his right hand slowly unbuttoning the four buttons of her torso exposing plaid shirt, a smile on her lips as he removed it and took in the sight of her round and perky breasts that had no bra in sight to cover them. She shrugged the shirt off and threw it to the floor, grabbing his face to bring his attention to hers again and almost immediately his mouth was on hers, stubble pricking at her face again, but she didn't mind the attention of the twenty-five year old._

_His hands roamed down to her underwear and he was more than eager to get rid of those, pulling away from the kiss so that he could get leg's length away to pull them off properly. "Ya sure about this?", he asked, eyes shaded with indifference and his fingers pulled the fabric slowly, drawing it closer and closer. She nodded and that was all he needed. For a moment after watching him she lost herself, the sound of music and laughter from the barn catching her attention and soon the laughter died down and there was nothing but music, like it was playing just for them. "Sara.", he said to her and her attention snapped back to him as he pulled his boxers down. She exhaled sharply before she nodded slightly, gesturing for him to move to her with her index finger. _

_They were face to face and in that moment she didn't care about the life she had or the even worse life that Daryl had. "Put it in.", she directed before laying back, head against the seat. Daryl's posture stiffened and he positioned himself just right, one of his hand holding to his cock and another cupping her thigh and he rested his head against her shoulder, eyes directed at her parted legs to watch as he slid inside of her. Her body was rigid for a moment as her walls welcomed him inside and she gave a sharp inhale, Daryl doing the exact opposite. "You alrigh'?", he breathed as his hips knocked hers a bit, his thrusting gathering a small rhythm as he looked down at her, rose-colored cheeks and a gaped mouth catching his attention. "I'm fine", she managed to say, hands moving to his back, fingers dipping into him deeper with the speed he would gain just as his fingers would sink into her thigh, his other hand propped against the handle, keeping him steady._

_Pretty soon the lights from the party could no longer be seen and all that could be heard was the shaking and rattling of the truck's cab and the moans of a frustrated Sara. Daryl let off grunts every now and again and they were starting to become more frequent as their sweat-covered bodies mingled. About an hour ago, Sara grew frustrated, hips knocking back at Daryl's in a battle for release that she wanted so badly, she could almost feel it. Daryl was tired of the games now, feeling the moistness of the tight space in which he occupied, he refused to let her continue this battle with him knowing if he did, they'd be there all night. He moved his hand from her thigh to her hip and slammed her down to prevent movement, she didn't even stop him. Her right hand moved to grab at his hair viciously as he began to pound inside of her continually, her moans and the way she gripped at his waist with her thighs setting him over the edge as they came together, bodies going limp with exhaustion. _

"Daryl.", Sara said, wondering why he'd been sitting in the passenger seat with a dazed expression for the longest of times, his teeth biting at his thumb nail. She left him for fifteen minutes to go get the car phone charger from the back where everyone's things were and she came back to find him like _that_.

"Hmm?", he said, eyes snapping to her before rediscovering reality, the phone grasped tightly in his hands. She was hesitant to say anything at all, but she knew she wouldn't dare ask what he was doing, "You need to finish up and work your magic on the phone, and quickly, the _convoy _is moving out soon.", She smirked and kinked her eyebrow to show the heavy sarcasm in her words just incase he failed to hear them in her voice. He gave her a smile, a real smile. She was slightly taken aback by it, in all honesty, she couldn't even remember the last time Daryl smiled at her like that. "Alrigh', it'll only take a few minutes an' If I fuck up, we can always catch a signal on the ride out."

She left him again, not knowing what else she could possibly do but when the time came to leave, she was more than willing to climb into the driver's seat, knowing Daryl would be by her side. He was the only person who could make sure she didn't total a car when she was younger, surely he'd keep a watchful eye out on the dangerous roads with her.

They'd been driving for hours and now all that was left to do was find a suitable back road out of Georgia and into South Carolina. She would've just taken them back the way she came but there was little certainty about who or what could be lurking that way now. "The map is showin' a double back road, we should take the second, seein' as the looters might be takin' the first to Augusta. The second back road is closer to the state border, barely anybody knows bout it..", Daryl tried to say quietly, map in his hands, a tiny flashlight in his mouth as he looked it over. Sara only smiled, checking in the rear-view to see the other three passengers asleep. Her eyes lingered on Denny and her thoughts traveled back to Maggie and all her skepticism, she cleared her throat and focused on the road, making sure that there were still three sets of low beams behind her at all times as she took the specific direction Daryl had given and put them to good use.

"Daryl…can I ask you something?", Sara said quietly enough but she knew he'd managed to hear her when he clicked his flashlight off and looked over at her. "Whassup?", he said, a bit of worry escaping from him. "…If I'd gotten pregnant, when we were together, would you have taken care of us?… Me and the baby?", she treaded carefully, knowing that she was crossing dangerous barriers with this conversation but she needed to know. He just stared at her, eyes squinting a bit every now and then before he began chewing at his lower lip. "Where is this comin' from?", he asked eventually. Sara shrugged, trying to pass it off as if she didn't care and she hoped she was doing a well enough job at it, "I was just wondering. It isn't like we never had a pregnancy scare. After our first time of sleeping together, I was terrified that the pill stopped working and that I'd gotten pregnant." Daryl nodded, remembering that, knowing that he himself was just getting hot and bothered earlier from thinking about their first time together. "Ya know I woulda taken care of you and the baby.", Daryl said it matter-of-factly but changed his attitude at the look of doubt on her face. "I may not be the friendliest or the nicest son-of-a bitch but ya know I care about _you_, I'd been takin' care of ya since you was sixteen up until ya left. I woulda done _anything _for ya, includin' bein' a daddy.", he said the last part darkly, turning to look back at Denny, "even if the baby wasn't mine." Sara's heart ached and she mentally cursed herself for bringing any of it up in the first place.

She quickly changed the subject, but in a way that wouldn't be damaging, no matter how unsubtle, "He's a great kid, isn't he?" Daryl glanced at Sara now, "The time I spent with him fishin' and huntin' all those times y'all came to visit were the best I've ever had with a kid. I din't even know I liked kids until he came along.", Sara watched Daryl in between taking in the sight of the road ahead, realizing that this conversation wasn't any better, it hurt just as much but she knew she had to press onward, "He loves you, more than he loved Chris. He actually hated Chris. He might not show it now, but I think he's so distant from you because he never truly understood why you were ripped from his life the way you were. He doesn't want to lose you again." Daryl raised an eyebrow before snapping, "Are ya talkin' 'bout _him _or you?" Sara winced slightly, that was a low blow even for Daryl and this was the last place they needed to be discussing feelings. She grew quiet and Daryl just watched Denny, "He's still _somethin'_, y'know?", Daryl whispered and she looked over at him, about to spill every last bean when her phone vibrated and came to life. She let out a breath of relief, "That must be Carlos, can you get that?" Daryl was quick to grab the phone and answer it, before putting it on speaker shortly after, listening to Sara and Carlos rant back and forth for the first few minutes about who and the hell had just answered the phone. Daryl smirked, eyes resting but ears open to the rest of their conversation, occasionally answering the other man's questions about the convoy in a groggy voice that Sara could only describe as _annoyingly irresistible_.


	5. Dark Paradise

_All my friends tell me I should move on. I'm lying in the ocean, singing your song. Ahhh, that's how you sang it. Loving you forever, can't be wrong. Even though you're not here, won't move on. Ahhh, that's how we played it. And there's no remedy for memory your face is Like a melody, it won't leave my head. Your soul is haunting me and telling me that everything is fine but I wish I was dead. Every time I close my eyes it's like a dark paradise. No one compares to you, I'm scared that you won't be waiting on the other side. Every time I close my eyes it's like a dark paradise. No one compares to you, I'm scared that you won't be waiting on the other side. All my friends ask me why I stay strong. Tell 'em when you find true love it lives on. Ahhh, that's why I stay here -_Lana Del Rey

* * *

><p>"<em>You can't be this self-centered, Sarafina!", He yelled out at her, words cutting like daggers before he threw something her way in an effort to catch her full attention. The book hit her full force and left at mark on her cheek, she instantly moved her hand to cup it, eyes hard and unwelcoming as she stared at the man before her. He was pacing their bedroom floor, eyes filled with hatred. She flinched when he moved closer to her. "Guess what today was, at Denny's school?", He tried, but she just remained quiet, eyes trained on him. "No guesses? You won't play with me? Is it because I'm not Lydia, your <em>_**whore **__best friend?" _

_Sara glared up at her husband, blood pooling through her fingers which held the cut that Chris' copy of Hamlet had left behind, "She's not a wh-" He immediately cut her off, not letting her have a word in edgewise unless she was complying to what he wanted to hear, "She is! But I guess birds of a feather flock together because guess what today was. I know you know." Sara knew there was no way around it, she had to go along with it if she ever wanted it to be over, "Doctor's day." Chris nodded at her words before stepping back from her, running his fingers through his hair, "That's right, and one of us had to be there, we flipped the figurative coin and it had to be me."_

_It was quiet for the longest of times as he perched against their dresser, she didn't want to break the silence but from where she sat on their mattress, she could feel his eyes on her. "What happened today, Chris?", She looked at him directly, words barely audible. Sara had already put two and two together, she didn't need his answer, she'd known. It wasn't as if Chris wasn't one to always call her names but there was only one thing he could be calling her a __**whore **__over.__She just wanted to make sure they were on the same page before she went and spilled out her guts to him. "They were comparing the blood of the children to the blood of the parent who showed up. And surprise, surprise…", Something happened at that moment, something snapped in Chris, it was almost as if he had a psychological break. He turned his back to her and scattered all of her valuables off of the dresser top to the floor. Sara flinched again, tears falling from her eyes without strain as she watched him destroying and breaking things. "You got pregnant by that __**fucking **__redneck! And you kept it from me!"_

_Sara stood up, about to leave the room, she couldn't take the yelling and destruction any longer. Chris grabbed her ponytail and yanked her back and for the first time ever she'd let her pain be known, a yell escaping her before she elbowed him in the ribs as hard as she could. He released her. "You have the nerve to be upset with me! I didn't even know until Denny was four, he's nine now. And let's be honest, you're so busy fucking your secretary that you make sure there's never a right time to tell you anything. Oh, and let us not forget how you don't make any time for him. You've never been to any of his soccer games, and none of his father/son camping trips! That is precisely why the kid __**hates **__you, Chris. He __**hates **__you. So don't try playing victim when you're the one who fucks everyone over in the end." She stormed out of the room, glancing behind her to see him bent over the bed whining in agony at what she could only assume was due to a few broken ribs. _

After four hours of sleep and the memory of her husband, she woke to the sound of her son's laughter and trying to remember how she'd gotten in the passenger seat to begin with. Body stirring to life out of alarm and the oncoming alertness before she remembered that hours earlier, she stopped the convoy a few miles into South Carolina after spotting a hoard and deciding to switch routes again, then a few miles after that Daryl took over driving for her so that she could at least get a bit of rest. She'd also managed to fill him in on exactly where on the map they were headed beforehand.

"Rise and shine, mom.", Denny said to her in an enthusiastic voice, head poking between the drivers seat and the passenger seat as he leaned forward. Sara smiled at him and ran her fingers through his hair, eyes slowly traveling over to where Daryl was taking directions from T-dog while Carol hummed softly in the back seat. Daryl glanced over at her for a second and it was clear to her that he was still visibly upset at her for last night's turn in conversation.

"Mom. Do you think Carlos will like everybody?", Denny asked, in the most subtle way as a child could. Sara assumed her _genius _of a son was only referring to one person in particular. Sara didn't think Carlos liked Daryl much at all, and they'd only spoken on the phone thus far. "I don't know, sweetheart. But I'm sure if Carlos doesn't like someone, he'll be fine. He's a better actor than you might think."

"Welcome to Cranbrook.", The Hispanic male said, a welcoming smile on his face as he looked over all the faces that stood at the in front of the big Mahogany front door of the forest's well hidden baby mansion. Sara gave him the driest of expressions while everyone else just focused on the rotting corpses that laid and decorated the steel cement enforced gating around the property. They could smell the flesh from at least fifty yards away with the breeze. "What's _that _all about?", Rick question as his wife looked absolutely horrified. Sara scratched her head and moved to stand on the stoop next to Carlos so that she could speak to the newcomers more directly. "Oh, _that_? That's what we call a cloaking mechanism.", She paused and everyone stared at her blankly so she continued, knowing they'd understand eventually, "There are at least five dead bodies to each person who stays here. The smell of the dead covers up the smell of the living from all sides. A walker could come from inside the steep forest, walk right past the gate over there, look right at us while we're standing here, and not even notice we're alive. _Why_? Because they can't smell us."

Rick liked the sound of all he heard but still had some questions of his own. "The security of the gate?" Sara saw where he was going and immediately answered, "Not even the worlds biggest hoard could get through that gate, trust me. The company I advertised for specialized in this type of gating, they're made of the strongest substance on earth and outlined by steel and they're cemented into the ground. This house belonged to one of my clients…but sadly, when I got here- he was long gone." Carlos cleared his throat and looked over at Sara, probably wanting some proper introductions. "Oh. Everybody, _this _is Carlos Santiago.", Sara said, gesturing to him once everyone's eyes were on her and then she broke out into another burst of introductions, pointing to each person she named, "Carlos, this is T-dog. Carol. Rick; His Wife, Lori and his son, Carl. My Cousins; Beth, Maggie, Sebastian, and Lotty. My Uncle, Hershel. My best friend, Lydia. Maggie's Boyfriend, Glenn. And then there's Daryl and you two have already met….kind of.", As out of breath as she was, she still managed to laugh lightly, a smile spreading on her lips as her niece appeared on the stoop beside her. "I'm Isobel!", the seven year old cried out, greeting everyone in a pink tutu and a plain white t-shirt, no shoes upon her fragile feet. Denny rolled his eyes at his cousin, "You are so annoying, Izzy." Isobel stuck her tongue out at the boy who then proceeded to chase her into the house, Carl looking up to his mother for permission to run after the other children. Once permission was granted, he bolted off after them.

"Alright everyone, I'll help you with your things and you can all pick your own rooms, hopefully we don't run out of separate ones.", He said the last part, eyes wandering to Sara. She just shrugged lightly and said, "If we do, a few people will have to double up, I'm sure no one will mind. Where are the others, anyway?" Carlos helped Beth and Carol with their things, hoisting up about seven things at a time as everyone headed inside. He stopped in the foyer, turning to watch Sara kick the door shut and secure it. "Well, It's only Isobel and I, we were in the garden, picking veggies for tonight. Rupert, Steph, And Kelly Rae are out hunting." Sara squinted her eyes lightly, wondering why Carlos had stayed behind, she wasn't exactly comfortable about both of her niece's parents out in the wilderness. If anything happened to them, Isobel would be left parentless, and she was about the only person in their group who hadn't known that type of pain yet. "You go help everyone settle in", she said, noticing that Carlos was already half way up the stairs, "I'll finish chopping for dinner.", She yelled as he rounded the corner at the top of the grand staircase.

Sara sighed and dropped her bags by the door, she'd get them later, she was in no rush to get up to her room at the moment. She looked over at the family room that was just off the foyer and connected to the kitchen, smiling as she saw the children were all sat down on the couch, watching a DVD. She was sure it was Shrek The Third. She rolled up the sleeves to the plaid shirt she wore over her black tank and looked straight ahead at the sliding doors that led to the domed-in garden, then to her right where the big dining table was, it was more than big enough for everyone to sit and eat at. The laundry room/ cellar door was in the right-hand corner of the dining room and she squinted as she heard the sound of the washer going, wondering who could possibly be washing something, Carlos could barely work the dishwasher. She let the thought pass and made her way to the kitchen, washing her hands at the sink before she picked up the knife and began to chop. Stephanie was probably out gathering deer meat to make her famous casserole, they'd run out shortly before Sara went on her dummy mission to find and rescue the others.

"Hey, I can take over doing that if you'd like to go get a quick shower in and relax. Or maybe change?", The gray haired woman said, a smile on her freshly cleaned face. It had been at least thirty minutes since she'd seen anyone and she assumed it was natural, they hadn't been in a safe place for a while. "Really? Thanks Carol. Uhm… all that needs to be done is the chopping of the celery, the potatoes, and the parsley. I can take care of the peppers when I'm done." Carol smiled, going over to wash her hands. "I see you've already done the onions and the tomatoes.", Sara simply nodded before leaving the kitchen, stepping down into the family room. She blew a few kisses to Denny, Isobel, and Carl who turned to watch her before she got to the foyer, picked up her bags and dashed up the staircase.

Upon reaching her room, she was outraged to see Daryl in there, towel around his waist and no trace of her things. She stepped out into the hallway again and looked around to make sure she had the correct room. "Uh. What the hell? Why are you in _my _room?" Daryl was slightly confused, folding his arms around his chest as he looked at the woman a few feet away from his doorway. "Carlos gave me this room, never said nothin' 'bout it bein' yours." Carlos walked past and then backed up to stand in the doorway. Sara dropped her bags and whipped around to look at Carlos for an explanation. "Carlos, where's my stuff?", She was losing her patience and soon, anything she'd learned at court ordered anger management in Lansing would go right out the window. "I moved it to my room, we can double up so that our new comer's can feel more welcome. I thought surely you wouldn't want to sleep in the children's room." Sara squinted and gawked while Daryl just scratched at the back of his head. A light bulb went off in Daryl's head, "You can take the room back, if ya still wantin' it.", the redneck shrugged his shoulders as indifference played at his eyes.

Sara turned her head toward him and gave a questioning look, "Excuse me?" Daryl gave a slight chuckle, "Ya heard me. It don't really matter." Sara sighed, weighing her options carefully. She picked her bags up and as she was about to leave Daryl moved to stop her and growled, "Where ya goin'? I said ya can have it." She yanked from him a bit and then rolled her eyes, knowing instantly what Daryl thought, or at least what he could have been thinking. He either thought she wanted to sleep in the same bed as Carlos, which made him jealous. Or he thought she was turning his offer down out of pride because of their conversation in the car the night before. "Daryl, relax. I'm not letting you give this great room up. Then you'll be out of a room and I will not allow you to sleep on the couch or share a room with Carlos which I'm sure would be uncomfortable as hell for you. I've had this bed for months, you've had the hard ground so the least I could do is not be selfish and let you have it. And the room.", She said the last part with finality, taken aback a bit when Lotty strolled by, singing _if you wanna be my lover_ by the spice girls. Lotty paused and peaked into the room, "having rooming arrangement troubles?", her raspy voice let out as she stood beside Carlos in the doorway now. "Carlos gave Daryl my room and now I'm letting Daryl have it.", Lotty gave a sideways glance to Carlos, grinned, and then looked back at her younger cousin and best mate from high school, "Nice towel, Dare." Daryl's cheeks brightened a shade and Sara wasn't shocked by it, Daryl was always self-conscious about his body when other people were around. Sara looked to Lotty while kinking an eyebrow, wondering if she was just going to stand there or if she had some input to add, and knowing Lotty, there was always input.

"Why don't you two just double up. Isn't like you've never shared a bed before.", tension filled the room almost immediately and you couldn't pay Daryl or Sara a million bucks to look at each other. "I mean, the end of the world is no time to be getting shy. There's a humongous ass bed in the room and your options are what, baby cousin?",

Sara sighed a bit at the way she'd been addressed before she gave in and answered anyway, "I could sleep on the couch."

Lotty shook her head, "That would be killer for your back no matter how much it cost or how stylish it is."

Sara furrowed her brow and then continued to speak, not enjoying having been cut off, "I could sleep in the children's room, in Denny's bed."

Lotty gave a squeak of a laugh, "Ch'yeah, lemme know how that works out for you. That bed is twin-sized, and you're triplet sized. Not calling you fat or anything but, you're not a kid, you'd just be making your son uncomfortable, not to mention yourself. Any other options?" Sara looked over the thin, yet curvy outline of her body and then rolled her eyes before saying through clenched teeth, "Or I could double up with Carlos, who has already conveniently moved my things into his room without asking." Lotty gave Carlos another sideways glance as she leaned against the doorjamb, eyes fixating over every last muscle and dip of his body. "Well, I'm guess he's more my type than yours, not that I'm Team Jacob or anything…", Sara looked confused for a moment before catching the joke, a smile she couldn't shake creeping onto her lips. "You should bunk with Daryl, I think it's safe to say that I trust him not to try to put moves on you, more than I do wolf boy over here. You'll have to wait three movies to get any action _whatsoever_. Plus _Darylina _is sparkly so everyone wins. _Ciao Bella_." Lotty said the last bit in a fake accent before she walked down the hall, yelling back to Sara that she'd gather all of her things from Carlos' room and drop it back where it _belongs _and that she should probably shower because she smelled like lima beans.

Sara sniffed her shirt and shrugged her shoulders, eyes avoiding an anger-filled Carlos and an ever so confused Daryl. "I'm going to go take a shower.", She said to herself, so relieved that every room had it's own bathroom- well, aside from the children's room. She felt out of place and a bit awkward for a moment before she rounded Daryl, grabbing a few clean clothes from her open duffle on the floor. She scurried into the bathroom, without another word being said. "Wha' the hell jus' happened?", Daryl said to Carlos who just glared at him before walking away, clearly having not been privy to Sara and Daryl's sexual past. The redneck shrugged, moving to close the bedroom door so he could quickly change, knowing Lotty would be back with Sara's belonging soon. A smile crept onto his face as he put on a pair of fresh jeans that Carlos had given him from Rupert's belongings, listening to Sara singing in the shower. He missed times like this, and though he and Sara had only been together for eight months- from November to June of her eighteenth year- they'd known each other their whole lives and his romantic interest in her peaked the moment she'd turned sixteen. It just took him two years to make a move, only because he wanted to be sure she was ready emotionally and physically.

Lotty knocked at the door and Daryl said it was alright to come in, pulling a plain black t-shirt over his head as he watched the woman coming in with box stacked on box. He rushed to help her, taking note that Sara only had three boxes of belongings; clothes, valuables, and lady products. Daryl focused on putting her clothes in the drawers he hadn't taken and he'd tell her which ones were which before bed. Lotty wandered to the dresser, placing valuable after valuable along it, pausing as she gently placed a half broken porcelain antique music box down. Daryl watched, reminding himself to ask about the music box sometime after dinner, it belonged to Sara's mother and he knew she'd never let something happen to it, not deliberately. He was just curious. After all, he was with she and her mother at Paradise Cove when she presented it to her daughter, just a few weeks before their summer break-up.

After Lotty left for the bathroom to place all the lady products in the cabinets and drawers, Daryl slipped downstairs and allowed himself to get wrapped up in the movie the children were watching. It was about an Ogre who had fallen in love with a princess or somethin', only she was an Ogre just like him underneath it all. He was sure it was called Shrek or some shit, then the adorable little girl, Isobel filled him in that they were watching all of the Shrek movies backwards. "An' who's idea was that?", Daryl raised an eyebrow thinking to himself that clearly no child in their right mind would do such a thing, children don't think creatively, they tend to like doing things one way and one way only. "It was Denny's. I told him he's _stupid_.", Daryl looked over at the boy who was sat just on the other side of Isobel, and in between she and Carl. "Naw Izzy, no one's stupid. You're all genius'. Trust me." Carol gave him a sideways smile from the kitchen, clearly enjoying the light amusement the children gave Daryl. The man only gave a faint smile back at her before Isobel was tapping him and telling him to pay attention to the movie.

* * *

><p>About fifteen more minutes into the movie, screams bellowed from outside, Daryl jumped to his feet and the children were watching the foyer, fear in their eyes. He patted Denny on the head as he rushed to his side, "Stay calm", He said, words directed at all of them as he watched Carol rush to the foyer. Rick and T-dog were the first to make it down the staircase, Then Carlos, Lotty, and Sara wearing a damp lynard skynard tee and some shorts with bunny slippers on her feet, It was evident she'd dressed in a hurry. They all stood in the foyer and watched Rupert clutching to Stephanie who was almost bleeding to death. Hershel pushed through the remaining people who crowded on the stairs. "Oh my god.", Sara breathed out with wide eyes, rushing to her sister's side, Lydia close behind in case she needed to pick up the pieces of an emotional break, "What happened?" Kelly Rae was first to speak, Rupert seeming to be in shock. "She didn't get bit…h-honest. Deer attacked her with it's antlers before I could manage to shoot it. it was an accident. I-I'm so sorry." Sara looked down at her sister, listening to Kelly Rae's words, her eyes moving up to look into the family room where a whimpering Izzy stood, Daryl keeping hold of her, his back turned to them to keep the seven year old from seeing anything. As soon as Sara stood away, Hershel was quick with making demands of Rupert. "Get her up to your bedroom, I'm a doctor, I can fix her leg. T-dog, get me some hot water. Maggie get me some towels. Glenn get me some gauze from the first aid kit in the bathroom. Rick, get me some needle and thread from the kit we brought and sterilize the needle and meet me in the bedroom." Rupert was already up the stairs and everyone was hurrying to do their jobs. Sara ignored Carlos who was trying to talk to her, to calm her.<p>

She rushed over to Daryl who was knelt down in front of the kids, calming them down. "Now, Denny you keep her safe an' look out for her, she needs you more than ever righ' now.", Izzy clung to Denny and though Sara was sure Daryl was aware of she and Carlos' presence behind him, he kept focus on the children, "And Carl, you bein' the oldest, you look out for 'em both. I have to go get the deer outside and skin it if we wanna be eatin' tonight." Daryl stood up and the kids went back to sit on the couch, a grief stricken Carol looking at Daryl, letting him know she'll watch them. Sara watched as Denny calmed Izzy's crying and then as Carl watched them, trying to invent games to take their minds off of everything. Daryl turned stiffly and rounded Sara and Carlos, heading toward the dome garden. Sara followed and Carlos was right on her tail. "Daryl.", She called out for him but he kept walking. They reached the back yard, leaving the dome and saw the deer carcass laying motionless and bloody. Carlos left them alone to make sure the gate was securely closed.

"Wha' do you want?", he said, trying his best not to sound harsh after what was happening to her. Sara was shaking and she was on the verge of a break down if Daryl ever did see one. He sighed and stood after taking out a few knives of choice, arms wrapping around her waist. Her breathe hitched and she practically breathed him in, letting the tears stream down her face. "You should be with her right now.", A voice came from behind her and Daryl's eyes looked and found the source. "Leave her alone.", Daryl grunted.

"I'm just saying, she shouldn't be _this _self-centered. Staying away from the operation just because she's afraid of losing Steph. Your sister needs you. Step-sister, or not.", Carlos added. Sara's body tensed and Daryl failed to understand why, releasing her when she pulled away from him, turning on Carlos and storming emotion down onto him, "I am _not _self-centered! I just can't go up there, it's not like she's _alone_. She has Rupert, her husband, holding her hand. If I go up there, it won't be good for anyone. So you **might **want to watch what you say to me, the _last _guy who called me self-centered earned himself two broken ribs."

Sara ignored Carlos' presence out there all while she and Daryl did the dirty deed of skinning the deer naked, all but the head, which Daryl cut off and field goal kicked over the gate, far into the forest. After that they cut it up in sections, getting a small portion for dinner and deciding the rest would go into the freezer in the cellar. Carol was pleased with the amount of meat she had and Lori even joined her in the task of preparing dinner, and they wouldn't even think to let Sara in on helping.

An hour later, the house was filled with the aroma of good smelling food and the dome was secure, along with the sliding doors, Daryl keeping watch as he leaned against the doorway of the family room and the foyer, smiling faintly as the kids all cuddled up against Sara, watching a new movie now. Daryl was pretty sure he had no fucking clue what it was, but something else caught his attention, his eyes being brought to Lydia and Lotty who sat in the arm chair together. They eyed him peculiarly, small smiles on their faces. "Sara.", Came Beth's voice from the bottom of the staircase. Sara glanced behind her and to the small blonde teenager who stood beside Kelly Rae who was the same age as her. "She's stabilized. She'll be out for the rest of the night and isn't up for any visitors but…Rupert just wanted you and Isobel to know." Sara felt her heart lift and she kissed Isobel's head, tears forming in her eyes but she knew she'd hold them back.

* * *

><p>Dinner was ready soon after the news was spread and Hershel got the biggest helping as they all sat at the dining room table. Beth took plates up to Rupert and Stephanie's room and reported back that the two of them were doing fine considering. "Sara, where was your favorite place to go as a kid?", Carl asked sitting across from her, Denny and Isobel at his sides. Lori glanced at her apologetically from across the table and Sara only shook it away, "Um. Paradise Cove. Why?", She said, picking at her food, feeling the eyes of everyone else upon her. Lotty and Daryl sat on either side of her, and next to Daryl was Lydia and next to her was Maggie who was next to Glenn, then Carlos, And at the head of the table was Rick. Next to Rick on the other side was Lori, then Carol, then Isobel and next to her was Carl and Denny was on the other side of him. Beth was next to Denny and next to her son was Sebastian, then two empty chairs and at the other head of the table was Hershel. Sara examined each of their faces before looking back at her plate, taking another fork full of casserole. "Well…" ,Carl started, "Earlier, Denny said that he liked Disneyland and I said that Cedar Pointe was better. Then Izzy said that the amusement parks are probably safe because of their gates like us and we said that she was wrong."<p>

Sara nodded, seeing where Carl was going with this, "And you want to know what I think?" She picked up her napkin and wiped at the corners of her mouth lightly after finishing off her casserole. "Well, believe it or not, I've passed Paradise Cove since infection and I think Izzy might be right. Paradise cove still looks the same but, even though something looks the same doesn't mean that it always is, you understand?", She said sternly, eyes locking with Rick who approved of where this conversation was going. Sebastian chuckled and Sara wondered what he could possibly find funny, her eyes moving to give him a glare, as everyone else did also. "No, sorry. It's just, I saw Paradise Cove too, and it doesn't look much like Paradise anymore. Looks just like the rest of the world. Dark and sinister." Sara quirked her mouth in a lopsided way before muttering, "Dark Paradise." Everyone heard but no one understood. "This house is just like Paradise Cove. A Dark Paradise. No matter how safe it is, it'll never be as safe as we want it to be, because the world out there is as uninviting as it ever was.", She hated to say that in front of the children, especially her own but she had to. She picked up her plate and left the table in a hurry, heading for the kitchen to dunk her plate in the dishwasher. It was Carlos' night to start it so she didn't hesitate upon going upstairs, she'd tuck Denny in soon, knowing he'd be upstairs shortly.

After he finished his food, he rushed upstairs to be put in bed. They battled with getting his pajama's on before she wrestled him into bed, placing a kiss on his forehead and tucking him in. She did the same for Isobel, considering she didn't think Rupert would leave Stephanie's side. She was wrong, Rupert stood in the doorway, in fresh clothes, watching Lori giving Carl a kiss on his head and Sara doing the same to his own daughter. "Hi, Uncle Rupert", Denny croaked in a groggy voice and both Lori and Sara's eyes snapped to the doorway. Lori could tell she should leave so she wished everyone goodnight and headed for her bedroom. Sara could tell the woman was absolutely dreading having to be alone with her husband again. "How is she?", Sara said, the emotion strong in her voice. "She'll live. But I just came to check in on Izzy, didn't want to leave her off on you", Rupert said, the stress evident in his usually smooth British accent. "Okay well, I'll leave you to it.", Sara said, smiling down at Izzy who might as well have had hearts in her eyes upon seeing her father. "I'll visit Steph tomorrow… let her know that.", Sara said as she left, giving one last glance at Denny as she did, remembering then that she had to double up with Daryl. _Oh the joy_.

Upon making it to their bedroom, she found Daryl _reading_ with only the light from the bedside table. She kinked an eyebrow, "What are you doing?" He sat up in bed and tossed the book aside, a bit of shock written across his features, "Nothin', I was just bored waitin' for ya.", he patted down on the space beside him in bed and she bit her lower lip before marching over to the bed, lifting the covers and climbing underneath. She tried to keep her distance from him but he wouldn't allow it, "I'm sorry for being stupid in the car last night.", She said. He made a humming noise to show he was listening and just when she was sure he was asleep, he wrapped his arm around her, sensing she was cold from the way she shivered lightly, "S'alrigh'. I pretty much forgave ya when me an' Lotty was puttin' away your things. She gave me a pep talk an' told me to stop bein' a pussy." Sara laughed at the nonchalance of his words, before calming down, "You'll have to show me which drawers are mine in the morning.", She reminded him, also reminding him of something _else_. "Speakin' of drawers. I saw wha' happened to your mom's music box on the drawer over there. How'd tha' happen anyway and did ya kill the bastard who wrecked the only thing ya got left of her?", He said gruffly.

She turned to face him now, heart beating at half a mile an hour, "Chris did that. He wasn't worth killing." Daryl creased his brow with confusion, he never liked that Chris Deckhardt guy, and not just for obvious reasons but because he seemed to be a major cunt. "Why would he do tha'?" Sara dug her hand farther into her pillow and averted her eye contact with him, the light hitting her face in just the right way and Daryl noticed a small scar. "_Sars bar_… c'mon. Talk to me. Why would he do that? And _that_?", He added the tail end assuming the scar was from Chris too, his hand moving to stroke the spot.

Sara sighed at the use of his special and also _corny _nickname for her, and it was then that she noticed, this was the first time in a long time that he'd given in to the feelings discussion and the first time that she'd let him. If there was a good time to spill the beans, it would be right then and she knew it. A few tears fell from her eyes and Daryl caught them, not saying a word, knowing from the way she whined that words were about to be said. "He did it because he was mad at me.", She became hysterical and Daryl grew angrier by the second. He was sure that if Chris wasn't dead, he'd kill him with his own two hands. He shushed her and whispered sweet nothings in her ear but she wouldn't except them, she only pushed away as he pulled her near, "No, Daryl! You don't even know why he was upset, you don't even understand what I did to him, to you!"

She sat up in bed, the tears still pouring and Daryl did too, trying to calm her, pretty sure she was being delirious. She hadn't done anything to him, he thought. It was all his fault that they wasted so many years being apart, "Fuck tha'! You culdn't have done nothin' that bad to where he had the right to hit ya an' break yer things!" She shook her head at his words and he was so frustrated that he grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her, trying to stop her from saying all the negative things about herself that he was sure he didn't ever want to hear her saying again. "He was mad at me because he found out that Denny's _your _son!", She yelled it at him and swatted his arms away, the tears still streaming down her face, eyes as red as tomatoes. Daryl let her go easily, and the room grew quiet for a long moment before his words came at her through clenched teeth, "Wha' did you jus' say?"

"Denny's your son, Daryl.", She said it breathlessly, the regret of the secret held deep in her voice. He ran a hand through his hair and squeezed tightly from frustration, "An' you tell me this now? A phone call ten years ago woulda been fuckin' nice! Please tell me you didn't know when ya married him." She shook her head almost frantically, "N-No, Daryl I swear. I found out when he was four, didn't tell Chris until last year, right before Denny's birthday." Daryl seemed eerily calm but Sara underestimated that when she took witness as he turned, punched the headboard and said, "Dammit Sara.", getting out of bed and knocking the lamp over, breaking the bulb. "Where are you going?", She cried after him but she got no answer, only silence and the slam of their bedroom door. She slid down in the bed, hugging herself to a pillow, body aching as the tears kept flowing.

In a way, she'd known she deserved that reaction, but she never stopped loving Daryl. If anything, having Denny and finding out he was Daryl's had made her love the man that much more. If she could have run away to be with him, she would have, but she knew he wouldn't let her. And dreams didn't come true in the world her father built for her. But in a way, dreams always came true in the world she'd built- the one she'd built around _Daryl_.


	6. Driving In Cars With Boys

_They say I'm wasting time, they said that I'm no good 'cause I'mma love my life, not doing what I should. Call me poison ivy 'cause I'm far from good pretty from afar, like a dark star. They say I'm dangerous, they think I'm really bad, I'm just making up for what I never had. Go out every night whenever I feel sad, Oh, this drive by love got me crazy like a drug. I wear my red lipstick, got my make up on. I'm Miss America, now I'm gone. Baby, gone. I spent my whole life driving in cars with boys, riding 'round town drinking in the white noise. Used to talk about where we've been and where we go. Now we know, baby, now we know. Spent my whole life wasted in bars with boys, playing rock n roll dancing in the loud noise. Used to talk about where we've been and where we go. Now we know, baby, now we know. _-Lana Del Rey

* * *

><p>"<em>Where in the hell did you go the other night? And why have you been dodging us? You missed a crazy party last night.", Lotty asked in a hushed tone from across the diner's table, slightly hungover. Sara smiled lightly before wiping the expression away, receiving speculative look from Lydia. "No where, just hung out with Daryl, and I haven't been dodging you, I've just been busy.", Sara shrugged casually, taking a bite of a waffle off of her plate. Lotty gawked and Lydia was fast to catch what was going on, Lindy sitting walking in and over to their table as Lotty squealed, "Oh my god. You two are totally doing it!" Sara flinched, which just made her denial of their accusations that much more less believable. Lindy sat down beside Lotty, wide-eyed and Sara couldn't help cracking under the gaze of her best friend beside her. "What the fuck did I miss?", Lindy said, voice full of confusion, "Who's doing it with who?"<em>

_Sara rolled her eyes and gave a pleading look toward Lotty but she only pursed her lips, not understanding how this could have slipped right past her. "Daryl and Sara are having __**sex**__.", She teased softly, looking to Lindy. Sara let her head fall down and hit against the table and let out an agonizing groan. Lindy's face grew red, her auburn hair tied in it's usual neat ponytail, in that moment it would be easy for anyone to see the obvious resemblance between the sisters. "Are you at least using protection?", Lydia chimed in on the parade of outrage. Sara sat up and looked at the girl, beside her, squinting her eyes, "I'm on the pill." Lindy's eyes bulged wider, "The pill doesn't always work and you said yourself that your period is late." Everyone looked at Sara for confirmation but she just shook it away, "I'm always late after I've had sex. It's not a big deal."_

_Lotty snorted a bit, "I know Daryl may be my best friend but, it is a big deal and I can't even believe you'd let Daryl Dixon raw dog you anyway.", Sara groaned uncomfortably at Lotty's wording, almost protesting when her older cousin began speaking again, "And let's face it, Daryl isn't exactly the fathering type. I don't know how he'd take it, and that asshole Merle would probably only convince him to abandon you in the end. You'd be amazed at the hold he has over Daryl."_

" _Amazed at the hold who has on me?", Daryl said, a smirk on his lips as he strolled over to their table. Sara's eyes went wide, hoping like hell that was the only bit of the conversation that Daryl had heard. "No one.", they all said at once and it set Daryl a bit on edge. "Damn girl, you look like shit.", He said to Lotty and she only smiled up at him, knowing he hadn't a clue why she was hungover, having been too preoccupied last night to bother showing up at the party._

_Daryl brought his attention to Sara and though he could sense something was wrong, he'd address her about it when they were alone, "You ready to go to the library?", he said carelessly. Lotty smirked at Lydia and Lindy just giggled. Sara sighed, standing to leave, grabbing up her backpack, "Yeah, let's go, __**please**__." Before they could leave, Lotty grabbed Daryl's wrist and he looked back at her, "Dare, you keep her safe, ya hear?" He only nodded in response, feeling too weirded out to do much of anything else, yanking lightly to free his wrist. Once outside and to the parking lot, Daryl found himself to be laughing uncontrollably, so much so that Sara had managed to beat him into the truck. "I can't believe they figured it out an' ya owned up to it. Then again…yer a terrible liar."_

_Sara glared at him, "We've been fucking for three nights in a row now and you thought no one would notice that we both seemed to be __**busy **__at the same time?" Daryl wiped the smile from his face, feeling as though he'd upset her. He leaned over and kissed her, lips melding with hers for a moment before feeling her lack of enjoyment and pulling away. "Wha' the hell? You don't wanna kiss me now that yer friend's know? S'that it?" Sara placed her head in her palms, not really knowing what else she could possibly do, she didn't need this. "My period's late, Daryl." His eyes dropped from her as she looked over at him. He sighed lightly, "Well, we can just focus on the fair that we volunteered for an' if it doesn't come by the time we're done, we'll go to a doctor." He'd taken it a lot better than she expected him to, but she should have know he would, he was her Daryl and she may not have been with him for long, but she'd known him forever and knew just the type of man he was._

It was then Sara wondered how she could ever forget it.

There was a knock at the door.

"Sweetie, you can't stay in there forever", Lotty said from the other side of the door. It had been at least two days since Daryl left her bed and he hadn't so much as spoken to her since.

"You should jus' leave her alone.", she heard a male voice say from the other side of the door. _Daryl_. "

"I won't leave her alone, she hasn't so much as eaten in the last forty-eight hours and I'm worried about her. I know you're mad at her but she's my cousin and I love her.", Lotty argued back at him.

Sara could practically hear the cogs turning in Daryl's head, "You think I don't love her too, despite everythin'? Give her space. She's goin' to be hurtin' for a while only due to the fact that I will too. I ain't talkin' to her and that's what'll kill us both."

"You're both stubborn assholes. The kid's your son, so what. Don't act like you never expected it. Don't act like you're not happy about it and it isn't like she robbed you of any years with him, you've spent more time with him than Chris ever did while he was growing up.", She shook her head, turning away from him, knocking on the door again, "You have to come out, whether or not Daryl will talk to you."

"Oh, for fuck sake.", Daryl said, brushing past her to open the door, closing it behind him quickly before Lotty could get in, locking it behind him. Sara laid there on the bed in the same position she'd been in, holding the pillow close to her chest, tear stains on her face. "Get the fuck up.", Daryl said to her, annoyance evident in his voice. She ignored him. "You smell like lima beans.", he said, trying a different approach but she still stayed quiet, not moving an inch. Daryl exhaled harshly before going over to the bed and picking her up out of bed, holding tightly to her as she struggled, kicked, and screamed. " I said, get the fuck up.", He dragged her to the bathroom, her hands holding for dear life on the doorjamb, "Let go of me!", She screamed but he tugged and tugged until her grip was no longer intact. He managed to get her to the tub, turning on the shower, and holding her in his arms as the water rained down on both of them. Daryl hated the feel of the cold water but he managed to keep quiet about it as he heard the sobs Sara gave off. He held her and collapsed to the floor of the tub, water still hitting them, but not as much as before. She snuggled into his chest, the feel of his cotton shirt making her feel more than just at home. She missed the feel of his body near hers.

"I'm sorry I never told you.", she said, it becoming clearer to Daryl that she was on the verge of crying again. He sighed, realizing he wasn't exactly as upset as he had previously been. The past two days, he'd been spending every waking moment with Denny, keeping him oblivious to the absence of his mother and, in a way, Lotty had been right. Denny already knew so much about Daryl and vice versa, there wasn't much reason for Daryl to be upset, and besides, Daryl wouldn't have expected Sara to just drop the life she'd created and four years of marriage just to move back to Augusta and be with him. Things didn't work like that in the adult world. "It's okay.", His words surprised her and she couldn't exactly understand why he was taking it so lightly. He was still mad at her, she could tell. She grew frustrated, pushing herself away from him. "I mean it. It's Alrigh'.", he relaxed there, water droplets bouncing off of his face before he'd taken notice at her tugging off her damp clothes. He averted his gaze, trying to show some respect. She turned to him, watching how uncomfortable he was becoming, "Not like you haven't seen it all before."

He looked at her, eyes drinking her half-naked body in. "I should go.", he whispered and she nodded in agreement. He sat up a bit, trying to put more space in the middle of them, even though she was sat between his legs. "I apparently smell like lima beans so if you don't care to be here while I strip down, then…", he stopped her right there, index finger at her lips before he replaced it with his lips. Sara was more than a little surprised but she didn't hesitate to move her arms around him, smashing her lips back against his. She moved closer to him, her thighs at his waist and his hands traveling down her back. She was obviously going through some sort of sexual frustration because she was more forceful than he expected, unzipping and unbuttoning his pants, damning everything else to hell, she only wanted one part of him.

He didn't do much to slow her down because he knew there was nothing he could do, even if he wanted to. "Fuck me.", She said, her lips leaving his before placing chaste kiss after kiss against his slightly rougher feeling lips. He ripped at the fabric of her underwear until it was torn completely and he threw it to the side, hearing the sloshing sound of the wet fabric hitting the linoleum of the bathroom floor. He moved her closer to him, hands on her hips as they worked together to position her, their lips meeting once again in a hungry tangle. Just as Daryl was about to allow himself to thrust inward, there was a cracking at the door and what sounded like someone was trying to break it down. Sara reacted quicker that he did, moving behind Daryl to cover herself as he turned to face the door, still crouching down in the bathtub.

"Sarafina!", Carlos yelled from inside the bedroom, Lotty and Lydia close behind him, all three sets of eyes finding the two at once. Lotty laughed, Lydia just stared, and Carlos' face fell. "Carlos here was under the impression that Daryl had done something to you once the screaming had stopped.", Lotty put herself together long enough to manage the words. "Maybe we should have waited for the screaming to start up again.", Lydia muttered, eyes wide as they all took notice to Sara peeking from behind Daryl's shoulder and the way Daryl held her shirt up near his crotch of which they couldn't even see, but they weren't stupid. "Do you guys mind closing the door on your way out?", Sara said in a small and embarrassed voice. "Well as much as we would love to do that, everyone is needed downstairs in the family room.", Carlos said, no traces of real emotion in his voice before he left. Lotty and Lydia stood there, feeling out of place before Daryl said, "Do ya mind?", They both held back laughter before making their way out of the bedroom. "See you both downstairs", Lydia chimed in a sing-song voice.

"I can not believe that just happened.", Sara said for about the hundredth time as she got dressed in some new clothes, Daryl watching her from the bed where he was busy putting his own on. "Well… we always got _tonight _to finish where we left off.", She glanced over at him, her cheeks burning red and tingling as his ominous eyes gazed at her longingly. "I guess we do.", She said and even Daryl could find the double meaning in that. "And then we can talk 'bout whatever girly shit is goin' on in your mind.", he chuckled lightly before shaking his head a bit.

They made their way downstairs, eyes shaded with indifference. Denny was first to notice them and upon seeing his mother, he went berserk, running into her arms as she reached the bottom of the staircase. "I missed you, mom.", She smiled at his words and hugged him tightly, eyes moving to everyone in the family room, including Stephanie who gave her a million different looks at once. "I missed you too, Den." He dragged her over to the couch and Daryl followed, slightly annoyed by the looks that Lydia and Lotty were giving him and not to mention, the dirty looks Maggie shot him.

"You're all here for good reason", Rick started out and Carlos joined in, "We just briefly wanted to discuss the way things will be handled in order of hunting." Rick held a list in his hand and began to read from it.

"None of the young members will be able to hunt.", Kelly Rae looked at if someone had stabbed her in the throat.

"If any members of the hunting party have a child, only one parent may go hunting at a time.", Sara glared at Carlos, wondering why he'd ever let both Stephanie and Rupert go hunting all at once.

"Unless you are married you are not thought of as an official couple, therefore, if a child is conceived, you will be asked to leave the house.", Maggie and Glenn's eyes narrowed lightly. "That makes absolutely no sense, who made that rule? A nun?", Maggie snapped.

"You're basically telling them not to…do that thing that couples do…", Sara interjected, careful of her wording around the children, though they didn't seem to be paying much attention, "In a world like this, contraception isn't exactly the easiest to come by and not all options of being safe are always effective."

Lotty smiled, "So let me get this straight, Rick. If wolf boy here made the moves on Sara and they conceived a child, he would just cross that rule out, right? I mean, he is the one who made all these ridiculous rules, isn't he?"

Carlos was visibly hurt and he looked to his sister, Kelly Rae for back up, but this time she wouldn't come to his defense, not after he'd taken hunting away from her. Sebastian raised his hand and Rick called on him. "We're perfectly safe here, I don't understand why we need a set of rules. How 'bout we just be more careful when hunting an' have enough sense to send the right cluster of people at the appropriate times?", Sara nodded at her cousins words, "He's right.", she said, grabbing the list of rules from Rick's hand before tearing it up.

"The moment we start allowing someone to make rules for us is the day we allow someone to think they're in charge of us. We work together in this house there will be no specific set of rules. That's how you end up dead, worrying about everything else but your survival.", She said, crumpling the torn pieces of paper up in her hands before sprinkling them to the ground. Everyone just looked at her, smiles on their faces, before watching her leave to room, heading toward the dome garden.

"Well you sure as hell told him.", Lydia said, Smiling at her best friend from the doorway of the dome garden, Sebastian at her side. "Someone had to do it.", She said softly, smelling a few of the lilacs they had growing around the edge of the dirt. Sebastian moved into the dome, looking around before he spoke, a stupid grin on his face, "So. I heard 'bout you an' _Darylina_. Is it true? Was he 'bout to pound you?" Sara sighed, too exhausted from crying for two days straight to be snarky and sarcastic, "Yes. We were about to have sex." Sebastian frowned, not liking the fact that his little cousin had given into his torment a bit too easily. "Well I know you were interrupted earlier, but what's stopping you now?"

Sara mulled his words over carefully, knowing personally that dear old Sea bass had always been Team Saryl but, if she was being honest with herself, she had to tell him that it was, "Doubt. That's what's stopping me from dragging him upstairs and finishing what we started. I'm afraid that since things are finally perfect now, I'm not going to want it as much and neither is he. There's always been something keeping us apart and now that there isn't, what if the spark is gone?", She shrugged lightly, honestly wanting to know the answer. Sebastian stepped closer to her and Lydia just watched from afar, waiting for the time where best friendly advice would be needed. He took the lilac from her hand and brushed it behind her ear to decorate her hair. "I know you two and if there's real love out there for me, I know it'll look a lot like wha' you two have. 'Cause thas' true love."

Lydia's heart nearly broke at the moment she was witnessing, "Besides, you ain't spent ten years pining over the man, wishing you could be with him for nothing. Go get him, before tonight comes and you climb into bed with each other and realize a day worth of doubt has crept it's way into your crazy little minds."

Sara and Sebastian smiled at Lydia words. Sebastian thought it was his cue to smack his cousin on the ass and send her on her way and toward the foyer. She squinted at him, stumbling forward before she stopped and looked at Lydia, "What about Denny? What about dinner?" Lydia smiled and waved her best friend's concerns away. "I'll keep the rascal busy. You just focus on your man, and besides, you and Daryl have both missed two nights of dinner, missing one more won't hurt anybody." Lydia smacked her best friend on the ass too, and as much as she should have seen that coming, she didn't. Sara walked forward, wincing in pain as she did so and noticed the pain of her abused ass cheeks became more prominent. Confusion passed on her face instantly as she stopped at the bottom of the staircase, everyone still in the family room, glancing over at her lost expression. "_Both missed two nights of dinner_.", She repeated Lydia's words and gained herself more than a few worried glances. "You alright, there, sport?", Stephanie called out and it was then that Sara remembered her injured younger step-sister, the one she'd promised to go visit a day ago but never did. She rushed to Stephanie's side, not even minding Daryl, knowing she'd take care of him soon enough.

"Are you alright?", she cooed to Stephanie, running her hand down the side of the woman's face. "I'm so sorry I didn't come see you, I-", Stephanie waved off all of the apologies and then it dawned on her that her sister probably already knew everything. She already knew that Sara had followed her advice, the advice she'd given her before she left about how if she ever found Daryl Dixon alive and well when she got to Augusta to spill every last bean she had and to be with him. "I know everything already.", Sara figured but she was confused as to how until Stephanie finished, "Daryl told me. And he and I talked about everything. And actually when you have the chance, you and I need to have a chat also, it's very important." Stephanie smiled at Rupert and then looked to Sara again, "Anything you want, we could talk right now", she sputtered but Stephanie only shook her head, giving a look of discomfort about that idea. "Rupert and I are going to prepare dinner after we've watched a movie with Izzy, Carl, and Denny, I can't talk right now. Besides, aren't you supposed to be doing something right now, Sara?" Sara raised an eyebrow at her sister's words before blushing lightly. _Of course, Stephanie was in on it too_.

Sara stood up and though she received a sideways glance from Hershel and Beth who sat on the couch alongside Rick and Lori, she proceeded to the Foyer anyway, only turning back to say, "Uncle Hershel…Where's Maggie?", Hershel's eyes were shaded with a bit of confusion before he said, "She and Glenn went for a walk." Sara smiled faintly, "Oh. Cool", she said, knowing that it was the perfect time to make a move what with Maggie out of the house and not snooping. "Daryl", She started and he looked back at her over the couch, "Can you come with me for a second? Upstairs? I think I may need help fixing the door." Daryl was up in an instant, not expecting anything of it, "Sure. Whatever." Sara let him lead the way, not wanting him to see how much of a nervous wreck she was becoming.

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><p>"He barely bruised the wood", Daryl said as he finished re-screwing the loose screws of the door knob and double checking to make sure it would lock and unlock properly. Watching Daryl being handy wasn't the best idea if she was going to avoid having sex with him because it was turning her on more than being in the shower with him was. "Daryl. Why did you skip out on dinner for two days?", She asked in an almost inaudible tone. Daryl paused from what he was doing and from what he was saying, becoming aware that Sara hadn't been listening to his rant about Carlos to begin with. He should have know she wouldn't be, she had no interest in Carlos, but all interest in the world in matters to deal with he himself.<p>

"I wasn't gonna eat if you wasn't eatin'.", Daryl said simply, placing things in and out of the tool box he'd found in the hall closet, squinting at his handy work before looking over at her as she sat on the bed. He closed the tool box up properly and left the room to place it where he'd found it, coming back to find her shedding her clothing. "Whatchu doin'?", Daryl asked, closing their bedroom door behind him, sure to lock it. In the back of his mind, he cursed himself for not knowing she wanted more than just the door fixed. Or maybe this was her reasoning for wanting it fixed. She gestured for him to come closer to her with her index finger and he sure as hell obeyed.

"You really do care about me, don't you, Daryl?", She said it in the form of a question but it was more of a rhetorical thing than anything else. He moved to pull his shirt over his head, stepping closer to her after doing so, hand moving to cup her jaw, "I do." He looked downward, taking in the sight of her naked body, lifting her from the ground in that second. She went to him easily, body willing and ready as he laid her down on the bed, smirking as her hands moved to undo his pants. He let her do that before swatting her hands away. "Patience", he said in a hushed tone before his lips began a journey down her neck.

By the time his lips reached her waistline, she was well aware where this was going and she was well aware that it was exactly what she needed. A famous Daryl Dixon tongue therapy session. He lingered for a moment before dragging his tongue down to the warmth of her luscious lower lips, slipping in between them to tease at her special little button. After about thirty minutes of the tongue play at her clit, she was about ready to cave and Daryl knew it, he knew how to get to her, and he knew her body and exactly how to handle it. His tongue finally switched the routine up, moving down to her moist entrance, Daryl was just about nose deep, glancing up at her every now and again as she was perched up on her elbows, watching him at work, moans cascading past her full lips.

When Daryl felt she'd had enough he stood up and she bit down on her lower lip hard, as she watched him pushing down his pants and boxers, glad his shoes were already off so he could be completely free of the weight of his clothes as he made love to her. Daryl still wasn't the type to rush but he wanted it so badly and it had been so long that he constantly had to remind himself when to slow down. He moved to her, chuckling lightly as she had somehow managed to make her way underneath the covers and away from him without him taking much notice.

"I love you.", He said to her, upon finally catching her, moving the covers from over their heads. She had been laughing but she wasn't laughing after hearing him say those words. "I love you too.", She said it in a way that he'd hated. She said it as if he should already know it, but the thing was, he hadn't; not always. He pulled her close to him and positioned himself in between her legs, knowing if he couldn't express to her how much he'd loved her with his words, he could do it with his body. "Put it in.", she directed, and he chuckled lightly, remembering their first time before grasping hold to his cock and forcing it into her. She groaned, immediately feeling the warmth that filled her.

Daryl was not usually a gentle man but when it came to sex he was gentle up until the very end, when his body was much too worked up with tension and his brain was filled with so much frustration that he couldn't possibly continue the way he'd been doing it. "Fuck me.", she cried out, panting as their hips clashed in a war of what could only be described as a battle of the climax. Daryl's body was heavy from sweat and Sara's wasn't any lighter, her mouth gaping open as she arched her back and allowed him better access to her carnal treasures. One of his hands move to cup one of her breasts and she took that as a sign that Daryl was about to get a lot rougher, pummeling inside of her with a force of which he'd never applied to her before. "Oh my _god_.", She whined, collecting up her strength, knowing that they couldn't go on like this, it wouldn't work this time. Their bodies were much more capable of the levels of roughness, she needed to take a new approach.

Sara rolled over on top of him and he was almost too surprised, but he didn't mind it a bit, he loved the view, hands moving to cup her breasts, his chest dipping in with each sharp inhale he would make upon feeling her moving up and down upon his length, her hips rolling like a pro. After about half an hour, Daryl found himself actually _arching_, toes curling from the pleasure. He would ram himself upward each time she would slam down upon him, the intensity of the moment stretching on second by second.

Soon Daryl was grunting and she knew he was close so she thought it would only be fair to let him take the lead again. His fingers digging into her hips as he begged her to let him take control again. She obliged him, her heart beating like she had a back full of batteries as he mounted her, legs raised off the bed as he pounded into her continually until they both reached climax.

He collapsed besides her, underneath their covers, not knowing what was what for the longest of time. "I can't believe that just happened.", She managed to say as soon as she caught her breath. She knew sex with Daryl had always been great but the man was like fine wine, he grew better with age and it was a lot better than she expected it to be. "I think you've literally fucked me senseless.", She said, turning to look at him, taking notice of how he hadn't said much for a few minutes. But it was obvious his breathing was still jagged. He wrapped his arms around her, knowing that he had her now. The mother of his only child, the love of his life and he'd had her. Nothing in the world could take her away from him, not even a lousy knock at their bedroom door. A **knock**.

Sara turned her attention to it, hoping she sounded normal when she said, "Who is it?", Daryl was playing at her stomach, tickling and playing to distract her, his face buried in her neck. "It's Lyd.", The woman chimed from the other side of the door. Sara wondered why in the hell she was even upstairs, it was surely near dinner time, "What's up, Lyd?", Sara asked innocently, traces of laughter in her voice as Daryl nibbled and kissed at her neck.

"Sara…We can't find Denny."


	7. The Same Blood

A/N: I PERSONALLY FEEL THAT: this chapter is too short, isn't believable at all, and is a big fat tease in all honesty. i spent all of 2nd, 3rd, lunch period, and 5th hour writing this for you guys. i feel as if i rushed, but you guys (my faithful readers, anyway) always seem to like whatever i dish out anyways. I love you all for that and i hope you **enjoy** THIS chapter as much as i didn't _enjoy_ writing it.

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><p>It had been at least a few moments of complete and utter disarray and chaos as Sara and Daryl scattered from bed to gather their clothes. When they were at least half decent, the woman rushed to the door, opening it in one swift movement. "What in the <em>hell<em> do you mean, you can't find my son?", She wasn't as outraged as one might assume, she was too worried to be upset, but rest assured that when she found him, all hell would break loose on those who let him stray. Lydia flinched, coming into the room, eyes wired with something that Sara couldn't quite put a finger on. Was it guilt or something else? Lydia's eyes strayed to Daryl as he struggled to pull his jeans on. Sara threw her shirt on, shooting her best friend daggers. "You said you'd watch him.", she spat, knowing not to jump to conclusions and blame Lydia right away, knowing there had to be more to the situation.

Lydia bit her lip, eyes coated with tears. "I know, and I was. But he was watching the movie with Steph and Rupert so I left him alone with them for no more than an hour. I came back and he was gone, Steph and Rupert were so busy with dinner they didn't notice. Carl and Izzy said that they didn't know where he was eith—"; Daryl was quick to cut her off, moving much closer to the blabbering woman than Sara was. "Hour? You left him alone for a hour? Wha' the hell was you doin' for a fuckin' hour?", Daryl watched as her face transformed with confusion and it became obvious what she was doing, his eyebrow kinked and he didn't need to say anything, Sara caught up with the conclusions a kilo-second later, wondering who the hell Lydia could have been fooling around with. Daryl took a deep breath, trying to remain as zen as possible, hoping for everyone in the house that this all wasn't a repeat of Sophia. "Where was everyone else?" He asked quickly, trying to figure out who Denny could be with or who could have possibly seen him when he disappeared.

She thought for no longer than two moments, "Rick and Lori were reading to Izzy and Carl in the children's room; Maggie and Glenn were out for a 'walk'; Carol was doing laundry in the cellar; Kelly Rae was teaching Hershel and Beth to garden. T-Dog was napping on the couch and Lotty was watching a movie." Sara's mind placed everyone in their proper places before coming up short, "What about Sea bass, maybe Denny's with him?", she said hopefully only to be shot down with the look of embarrassment Lydia gave off, "Sebastian was…with me." Sara was too stunned to say anything and the moment she told herself there was more important things to be worried about, Daryl's eyes lit up with some sort of hatred. "Tha' leaves Carlos."

Lydia's eyes went wide and before anyone could stop him, Daryl was scooping up his crossbow and basically sprinting out the door and down the hall, heading down the grand staircase. "Carlos!" He yelled, not caring how close on his heels Lydia was. Most of the adults came through the door in the same instance, having come back from forming a search party. "He ain't here." Rick said immediately. Sara was panicking and though she thought she was hiding it well, Stephanie and Lotty could see right through it, going to her side, filling her in on the development. "We found this by the gate. It was snagged.", Lotty handed a piece of Denny's blue and white striped sleeve from the shirt he had been wearing that day, regret on her face. "No.", Sara looked at it, avoiding everyone's gaze and refusing to take it.

Daryl's face turned five different shades of red in a such a short amount of time, eyes growing dark with anger. "I'm gonna find tha' son-of-a-bitch.", he spat, brushing past everyone, including T-Dog who did his best to try to block him. Before Rick or any of the other men could catch up to him, he was half way across the acres of front lawn. "It ain't going to solve anything son." Hershel called to him, but Daryl kept walking. "For all we know, he could be takin' Denny and not comin' back!" Everyone tried their best to slow him down but their words ricocheted off of him like white noise. He was almost to the gate when a voice caught him, finally cracking his exterior, "Stop! Daryl!" He turned to see Sara, a yard away from him all out of breath and ahead of all the others, "Look.", she said, anger still on her face, but something else touched it too. Daryl turned his head slowly and looked toward the gate, knowing instantly that it was relief that the mother of his child wore. There Denny was, standing all dirtied and wild at the gate he'd managed to open, the rest of the group stood in one spot, shock and awe on their faces.

Daryl was stunned, head dropping as he exhaled sharply. Denny closed and locked the gate, turning toward everyone, a bit of fear in his eyes. But Sara just began to sob, assuming the boy was only afraid she'd be upset at him for leaving the house. Sara bolted past Daryl, but then stopped a few steps ahead of him. Denny ran to her in an instant and she fell to her knees, hugging him, sobs still cascading from her as her back heaved, the lanky ten year old in her arms, being as quiet as he usually was. Daryl glanced back at the other survivors, taking in their expressions of relief, but his eyes lingered on Carol, mostly sorry for her that the reunion they were witnessing, much different from the one they'd witnessed only a week or so earlier, couldn't have played out the same.

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><p>"So what happened?" Isobel squeaked.<p>

Denny looked at his cousin who sat across from him on the floor besides Carl. Even after a warm shower and a change into pajama's, he still shivered underneath the blanket Daryl placed around him, knowing that there was no rush for him to spill everything, knowing he could take his time, "I was hiding, in the cellar and Carol found me." Eyes shot to Carol before they all looked back to the boy, waiting for him to finish before placing blame. "Why were you hiding?" Carl asked voice soft and curious. Sara rubbed her son's back, trying to make him feel as comfortable with telling the story as he could. "I did it 'cause I was afraid that mom wouldn't wanna come outta her room and I didn't want her to be mad at Daryl again." Daryl gave Sara a faint smile, eyes roaming back to his son as he started to speak again after Rick asked him what happened after Carol found him, asking how he'd ended up outside. Sara sighed lightly, she could only imagine what he'd gone through in that forest, "She told me to go read a story with Izzy and Carl. On my way, I saw the big door open, the one to the front yard." Sara noticed he stumbled over his words, he'd always been nervous when speaking for a crowd. Once, in the fourth grade, Denny had a full blown panic attack in his Social Studies class during a debate and she had to go pick him up early.

"I went out and saw Carlos. He said I could go hunting with him. I-I didn't really wanna." The boy said, looking to his mother, pleading for her to believe him. Sara only stroked his hair, making him more aware of the fact he wasn't in any real trouble at all and then cooed encouragement for him to continue the story, "He pulled me with him when I s-said I didn't wanna. That's h-how my shirt got torn." He glanced around the room, the disbelief on peoples' faces scaring him into silence for a few moments. "S'okay, kid. They ain't shocked at your words or mad, they jus' can't believe Carlos would do somethin' like that. Keep goin', we're on your side." Denny looked up at Daryl and Sara couldn't help but feel warmth inside.

"Well, I was screamin' and walkers came…Carlos was shooting them and I ran away from him. I didn't wanna get hurt. I-I thought he w-was gonna hurt me next." Daryl's jaw clenched and he and Sebastian locked eyes. It was an unspoken mutual agreement that if that bastard ever showed his face back at the mansion again, they'd take care of him. Kelly Rae sat in the distance on the arm chair, frozen with disbelief, "…He wouldn't do something like _this_." she said, the disbelief strong in her voice. "Well he did this. A ten-year old boy wouldn't—no, couldn't make something like this up" Lotty snapped at her. Kelly Rae snapped under all of the glances, emotions all in a jumble as she began to cry, "No one cares if he's alright. What if he's _dead_?" She stood and her eyes were shaded with pain as she realized that the only person she had left in the world could be dead. "You best pray he is. 'Cause if he ain't, I could change that real quick." Daryl said aloud, not really caring if the girl cried. In a way, he felt bad because he knew what it was like to lose a sibling and he knew Merle wasn't exactly the best in character. But if anyone had ever tried to hurt Denny or Sara, no matter who they were, he'd end their miserable fucking life. No one messed with _his_ family.

Rick was torn between what he should do and what was wanted of him, "We have to go looking for him." Daryl chuckled darkly, "You can go on tha' little expedition by yourself, boss." Rick sighed and ran his hands down his face and it was then that he'd pleased the redneck with a look that said he wasn't looking to be accompanied by him. Daryl folded his arms across his chest, glancing over at Sara as he leaned against the armrest of the couch, watching as the mother of his child sat with a bewildering expression, said child in her arms sitting restless. "T-Dog, Glenn, Hershel, you can come with me. Sebastian, Daryl, Rupert, stay here with the women and children and hold down the fort. We should be back by the time you're setting the table. Rick gave Lori a look of comfort before the men who were assigned to leave grabbed their weapons and headed out. Kelly Rae remained quiet for about fifteen minutes before she headed up to her room, weeping.

"I can't say I don't feel sorry for the girl…", Carol said simply, and the others looked at her in silent agreement but said nothing for fear of setting an already silently fuming Daryl on edge. Sara reached up and stroked his face, hoping it would calm him but he only flinched. "I need to go do somethin'", he muttered before getting off of the couch and heading toward the dome garden. "You think he'll be alright?" Lori asked, stroking her own sons' hair as she went to sit behind him on the carpet. Sara shrugged, placing a kiss upon Denny's head before speaking, "I hope so. I have to share a room with him, after all." There was light humor in her words and she couldn't believe she was able to joke at a time like that. "You know, Rick and I, our room is right across from yours…" Lori started and Sara immediately picked up the direction the conversation was going. "

Sara shuddered lightly, "You heard our fight the other night, didn't you?" Lori minded the looks of everyone else in the room before nodding. "We all did. I think the children and the people from the far side of the hall way were the only ones who were out of earshot." Lotty said. Sara smirked a bit, "But then the people who heard it, you guys didn't exactly hold off on filling them in, did you? Look, if you guys are going to tell me how much of an awful person I am for what I did, then could you at least wait until we're all alone.", She said it, referring to the presence of the children and Lydia smiled at Carol, reminiscing on the conversation they'd had earlier on the exact subject at hand while doing laundry together before Sebastian whisked Lydia away. Carol decided to speak, feeling that a few things needed to be set straight, "What we think about your decision doesn't matter. The truth is Daryl needs you. You're the best thing that could happen to him right now. Before you showed up, he'd had it rough… losing Merle and… not being able to bring my little girl back safely."

Lotty grinned, "A touch of familiarity. A touch of love." She winked at her cousin and it set her on edge, remembering the first time Lotty found out about she and Daryl, a grimace on her face. "He cares about you…" Lydia added with a sense of wistfulness in her voice as she looked at Sebastian, words directed at Sara, though. It wasn't exactly the best time to confront the elephant in the room but Sara just couldn't hold it in anymore, "Okay, so what's going on with _you_ two." She spoke with a bit of hesitation, not sure she really wanted to know. Her cousin smirked at her, his blue eyes rolling back lightly as he rocked back on his heels, attention snapping back to him at once. "We're seein' each other, okay?" Sara raised an eyebrow in slight confusion, but in a way, it'd made sense. "Since when?" Lydia blushed lightly, "Since the night he answered your walkie talkie." _Of course_. She should have known. It bothered her, only slightly, but at least the unhealthy Merle Dixon phase had finally come to an end. Sara wasn't even sure what had changed her mind.

Shortly before dinner, Daryl reappeared, "They back yet?" His words were directed at Sara who was busy setting the table. "No, not yet. I hope they're alright." Rupert was helping with the table arrangements and couldn't help overhearing, he walked closer them to give them a bit more hope, thinking they could use it; "They'll be fine. I assure you. They're strong men, even without tough guys like us there to help him." Daryl smiled faintly, enjoying the British man's company; he was like a less annoying version of Sebastian and all that. "Yeah, wasn't no way in hell I was gonna go risk my neck lookin' for the assclown who put _my_ _son_ in harms' way." Daryl's words hadn't been loud but somehow, it caught in the attention of the children as they entered the room. They all looked at each other, not saying a word, a look of confusion traced in Denny's young and already tormented features.

* * *

><p>They all sat down to dinner shortly after the rest of the men returned, not bothering to put up a fuss with getting Kelly Rae to open her door and accept her food after finding out that they'd all failed to find any traces of Carlos out in the brutal forest of Charlotte. Conversation was to a minimal and once the awkward silence weighed down too much, Glenn and T-Dog started to tell jokes alongside Sebastian. The trio provided enough laughter to go around but a few people felt a bit guilty for laughing while Kelly Rae was upstairs suffering. They also were cautious of her feelings, the last they needed was her snapping and lashing out at them for not giving enough fucks about her older brother.<p>

After dinner, Sara allowed for her son to lie in bed with her, stroking his hair as she whispered a sweet lullaby in his ear. "Mom?" He said, looking up at his mother, taking the opportunity of privacy to talk to her, frowning upon realizing he'd waited a bit too long, eyes dropping from his mother as Daryl exited the bathroom. He wore a plain grey wife beater and some black sweat pants leant to him by Rupert. "What's wrong sweetie?" Sara asked, sensing his distress, ignoring Daryl until he climbed into the bed. Denny was beside on the right side of his mother, being coddled and Daryl was positioned on the other side of Sara, eyes much too alive to sleep. The child in the room was hesitant, "Is Daryl my dad?" Sara froze, not really knowing what to say or where any of it was coming from. She analyzed the tone of her son's voice, assessing just exactly how to approach the situation, "Well…would you be pleased if he was?" Daryl had tuned into the conversation from the moment he'd heard the mention of his name. "I think I would…" Denny looked around his mother over at Daryl who was now leaning in on their conversation. Sara glanced at the man beside her, the man she'd known her whole life and fathered a child with before smiling lightly and turning his attention back to her young son, "Yes. Daryl is your biological father…which means," She paused and wrapped her arms around him tighter, pulling him in closer to her and Daryl, "That you have the same blood. I would have told you sooner but, I found out when you were four and I didn't exactly know how to tell you."

The ten year old smiled faintly, blue eyes like his own staring back at him as he looked up at Daryl. "Were you and Daryl married before?" His question startled her a bit. She hadn't exactly planned out how to talk to him about this. Part of her never thought she'd have to.

"No, we weren't.", Daryl dived in head first, "But…we loved each other a lot…and stuff. We grew up together. An' believe it or not, but I'm jus' findin' out tha' I'm yer Dad, jus' like you. An' even though you were a surprise, I'm glad yer mine." Sara simply blinked, shocked that Daryl Dixon had actually handled the situation better than she did. "Do I have to call you dad?" Sara laughed and smiled lightly, "Not if you don't want to. Nothing has changed; he's still the same Daryl." Daryl nodded in slight agreement, reaching to ruffle the small boys' hair.

After Denny dosed off, Sara laid awake in the pale moonlight that leaked into the room. Daryl could sense she was awake, even with her back turned to him, Denny sleeping soundly as he curled up between them. Daryl cleared his throat to let her know he was awake, trying to earn her attention. She gave a faint smile and turned to face him, glancing down at their sleeping son, hoping that after the day they'd all had, he was having pleasant dreams. The redneck stared at his beautiful southern belle, still as beautiful as the day his feelings for her first erupted. "Are you alrigh'?" Daryl whispered to her and she simply nodded, reaching over the space between him to stroke his stubble-covered face. Daryl brought his hand over hers and held it firmly in place, smiling faintly at her. "I'm sorry about earlier. And I'm sorry about now." She said her voice full of sincerity. Daryl creased his brow, "Wha' do you mean?" Sara gave him a sheepish look, "We didn't get to finish earlier and now we have a pretzel of a ten-year old lying between us."

The man smirked, thinking that she was the same old Sara; assuming he'd had a dire appetite for sex. "S'fine. I like this a lot better; my girlfriend, my son in bed with me, thas' what I call family time." Sara smiled, her arm looping around the steady breathing boy between she and the man of her dreams before realization dawned on her.

"Did you just call me your girlfriend?" He nodded before leaning in to kiss her, minding their heavy-sleeping son between them. That moment was all Sara needed, forgetting all the drama in the world that surrounded them. Despite the day's losses and gains, none of it mattered because she had Daryl. All that mattered is that She, Daryl, and Denny were safe and together as a family.

"How'd you sleep last night? On sheets of Egyptian cotton?" Kelly Rae snapped toward Sara who had gone down to the kitchen bright and early in the morning for a drink of water, before anyone else was awake. She thought she'd be alone, but she was sorely mistaken. "Look, I'm sorry about your brother. We will find him and when we do, we'll work everything out. You don't have to be so hostile, Kelly Rae."

The girl scowled at the older woman's words, disbelief on her young face when she said, "You're not sorry but you will be. All he wanted was your affection, and you couldn't even give him that, like you were so much better than him, only to tangle with the likes of some _redneck." _Sara squinted her eyes at the clearly out of line young woman, "**Look**. I know you're upset, but I have the right to make my _own_ choices. Unrequited love sucks, I agree with you there, but just because I didn't want to be with him, doesn't give him the right to _kidnap_ my son." Sara poured out the remainder of her water, rounding Kelly Rae completely, heading back up to her room.

Sara decided not to inform Daryl of the events that morning, knowing he'd only be pissed. Instead, She just climbed back into bed and tried to drown out the guilt she knew she shouldn't have even been feeling.


	8. My Time Of Dying

A/N: Don't hate me. Someone **had** to die.

* * *

><p>"<em>Ya can't be lettin' yer temper get the best of ya. Wha' the hell is wrong witcha?", He shouted at her after having pulled her out of O'Toole's and to an alley right beside it for safe keeping, the rest of the people still in a bar brawl that the sixteen year old had managed to start. <em>

"_But he started it, you don't even-", Daryl was quick to cut her off, stepping closer to her as he yelled, "I don't give a fuck who started it! Ya coulda got yerself hurt!" She seemed to shrink in on herself as he closed in on her and instantly he felt bad, retreating a bit. "Look, Daryl. I know that you've sort of been in the picture since Charlotte started third grade, maybe even before that. But you're not my __**daddy**__.", Though his back was turned to her, his shoulders squared and she could tell she'd maybe set him off. She sighed, about to attempt fixing her statement when he turned to her and said, "Well, someone oughta at least act like they care 'bout ya. Like they actually see the path yer takin' an' try to stop it."_

_She smirked lightly. This was rich, someone was claiming to care, no one ever cared about her or her feelings. She was just a pretty face, and in Augusta, she was also considered a princess who was __**allowed **__to go wild every now and then. No one ever really noticed she wasn't just going wild, she was breaking. "What do you want from me Mr. Dixon? Just be honest and cut the bullshit because no one cares about me, not really." Daryl's expression was a mixture of hurt and confused. He didn't want anything from her, he just wanted to protect her. Since childhood he thought the younger kid was special, she wasn't like the rest of them, she was meant to get the hell out of there and do something with her life. "One, Mr. Dixon is my daddy. How the fuck old do ya think I am? An' Second, I don't want nothin' from ya, Sarafina. I ain't like everybody else, I want somethin' for ya."_

"_What the hell are you talking about? You're not making a lick of sense. Guys your age don't help girls my age for no reason. They help us cause they think we're dumb and easy to fuck.", Sara raised her voice a few octaves toward the end of her mini rant and Daryl began to chuckle. She was slightly insulted at the sound of it, face shading with red as he cheeks burned. "What the hell is so funny?", She outburst, stumbling back against the brick siding of O'Toole's as Daryl approached again. "If I wanted to fuck ya, woulda already done it, sweetheart. Girls your age are lots easier than ya assume, trust me, I done half yer graduatin' class." Of course Daryl was only lying, he was trying to make it seem like if he'd wanted her he would have gone after her which was false because he actually did want her, he just couldn't do anything about it because she wasn't ready for him yet. He was also trying to make a point that he just wanted to help her, but all he did was make her feel like she wasn't good enough and the moment he realized it, he could have slapped himself. But hell, he was shocked she didn't just shrug his words away with prior knowledge of it. After all, everyone in town made rumors about how they'd fucked Daryl when they hadn't even come close. Daryl was the town manwhore based on said rumors, but even with a title like that under his belt, he still managed to be the town outcast who could charm a girl out of her panties, her home, and her heart._

_Sara was quick to recover from the way her eyes fell, for the first time it was like someone didn't just want her for what she could offer or for what she stood for to everyone else. Daryl Dixon wanted to __**help**__ her, he wanted to be closer to her. I mean, he'd always been there for her when she thought of it. He was sort of like a guardian angel, she never paid much attention to his presence when he was always __**right **__there. He was always that older kid who would help her up when she scraped her knee playing neighborhood kickball with all the others; He was always that older kid who people would mistake for her brother in middle school, and lately, her __**boyfriend**__; and most of all, he was always that older guy who would give she and her cousin, Lotty rides home from school when the rain was much too hard for them to walk in, always dropping her off last because he somehow knew that she felt more herself being out in the rain than she did on the nice and sunny days. "Thank you.", She muttered and he only nodded. She managed to look up at him from underneath her freshly cut fringe of which she had already been regretting. He reached up and ruffled the fringe and she just sighed and pulled away, clearly not comfortable yet with their blossoming friendship._

"_Can I at least give ya an awkward hug?", He asked, biting at his bottom lip no sooner than he'd said it, eyes trying to meet hers as he shrank down to make the action easier. She pushed herself off of the bricking and moved a bit too close to him and the notion set Daryl a little on edge when her nose bumped into his lips. He moved away before remembering this was what he asked for, a hug in a dark alley. Remembering they were alone somehow calmed the tension. She laughed lightly for her nose bumping him and he glanced at her questioningly for it had been the first time he'd seen her truly happy all night. "I'm sorry.", she said and he simply waved it away. "Don't worry 'bout it." At that point he figured the hug was history and wouldn't happen, his eyes turning their attention to the road at the opening of the alley and the sound of O'Toole's door swinging open when she nearly jumped him, arms wrapped tightly around his midsection. She figured she might as well hug him, no matter how weird the night had been with him, as well as her life with him always lurking in the background, watching over her. He was surprised and rocked back on his legs slightly before he gave a lop-sided grin and held her. "Thanks for saving my ass back there.", She said, referring to the bar fight which had pretty much started with her spilling beer on Merle for talking to Lydia poorly._

"_It's alrigh'. No one should have to work a hard day an' then deal with Merle.", He released her but she was still holding him, stumbling backward on some junk on the ground and pulling him with her as she rested her back against the bricking of O'Toole's. The action, though an accident, caused a warm sensation to trickle down inside him and he knew it all too well, yanking away from her as quickly as he could. He saw the look on her face and sighed, "Sorry, I jus' think I should get you home or somethin'." She watched him place his hands in his pockets and the way he shifted with great skepticism before she nodded, "Sound good to me."_

After that night, things were smooth sailing between the two. Daryl was around a lot more and this time around, she actually acknowledged him. She **more **than just acknowledged him, she adored and fawned over him. Nothing changed much between them when she got a boyfriend named Roy Bishop. Daryl's existence drove him crazy with mistrust and jealousy so Sara, of course, left him. After that, she turned seventeen and ended up with Louis McKinley, who'd taken her virginity, up until he left her due to her **anger issues**. Sara wasn't too heartbroken about the two break-ups she had before the biggest break-up of her life, the one with Daryl. She wasn't too heartbroken because she'd known that Roy and Louis were just the people who would pass the time until she could have Daryl the way she wanted him. They were the type of guys you date before you end up with the guy you're supposed to marry. Sadly though, she didn't marry Daryl even if she should of. And it took the end of the world for them to get a second chance.

* * *

><p>Her eyes flew open, she'd been laying in bed for a good thirty minutes with them closed but she had been awake. She was enjoying the sound of Denny and Daryl sitting on the bed and talking, trying to drown out the pain of guilt. She had a busy day ahead of her and surely she couldn't do it with guilt weighing her down. Sara had promised Lori she'd help prepare a nursery in one of the spare empty bedrooms that were next to the librarystudy. Sara was, of course, more than happy to help seeing as how she'd enjoyed doing up Denny's when she was pregnant with him. She stirred to sit up in bed and the two men in her life glanced over at her. "Finally, thought ya would be out all day." Sara squinted at Daryl before looking over at the bedside digital clock. "Ooooh my god, I'm late. Why did no one wake me up?", She said before trying to rush out of bed, falling over before quickly bouncing back up, her hair all out of place. Denny laughed and Daryl was trying to keep a straight face. "Ya jus' looked so peaceful, I culn't.", He said and she groaned in annoyance, grabbing a few items of clothing before rushing into the bathroom and slamming the door.

"Is she mad at us?", the ten year old asked and his father only ruffled the boys spiked dirty-blonde hair and chuckled. "She'll live."

"Lori, I am so sorry. Daryl and Denny didn't wake me and last night was a really long-" Lori turned to face her as she stood in the middle of the empty room, hand rubbing over her almost un-noticeable baby bump, other hand waving away Sara's words. "It's fine, I understand. We all need family time every now and then. I knew you'd eventually show up. I know you wouldn't just blow me off, it's not in your character." Sara smiled at the other brunette, eyes happy she wasn't upset. "Did you find any good stuff in the cellar?", She asked, ready to get right down to work since she'd kept her waiting so long.

Lori looked to the boxes in the corner and the crib that had yet to be put together again, dust coating it. Sara's eyes followed and her face lit up. She knew Mr. Cranbrook, owner of Cranbrook mansion in the middle of the forest, had several children due to the three beds in the current children's room. _Triplets_, she thought, instantly remembering them. He'd had two little girls and a little boy, and then he had a son in college, _James_. Her recollection of the name being confirmed once she saw the big _J.C. _wooden initial cut-outs in the corner. Ironic, she thought to herself. "This is more than enough to work with.", Sara finally beamed, taking note of Daryl, Rick, and Sebastian in the doorway, lurking for no apparent reason at all. Lori noticed too and she smiled at her husband. Sara assumed that whatever drama was occurring before was all in the past now and she was happy to see that she and Daryl, Maggie and Glenn, and Rupert and Her step-sister weren't the only happy couples in the house.

"Hey ladies.", Rick said while looking around the room, "What're you up to?"

Sara chuckled darkly, now realizing that Lori probably hadn't run any of this by Rick yet, but Sara thought it made sense to make a nursery, especially in an empty room that was right next to Lori and Rick's. The other woman had gotten anxiety every night just due to the fact that Carl's was all the way on the opposite wing. "We're just, y'know, skydiving." Sara mused sarcastically, eyes shaded with humor as she looked from Rick to Lori. Daryl scratched his head and Sebastian spoke, "Well alls I'm sayin' is, I better not hear the bugger cryin' 'cause my room is right next to the library and this room is between ours.", His words directed at Rick and Lori. "Well if the baby makes any noise, which I'm positive it will, then we'll all have to suffer in silence and help out the best we can. Not like we've all never dealt with babies before." Sara rolled her eyes before going over to the crib Lori and Rupert had found, "Now come make yourselves useful and help us put this stuff together."

They all pitched in the best and even though Daryl didn't say much, by the tension in his shoulders, the stiffness of his posture, and the way he'd only kept himself in deep conversation with Sebastian and Rick, Sara could tell something was off about him. She had been in love with the man for years and she had plenty battle scars to show for it. She knew when Daryl wasn't quite right and when Daryl was _just _right. She waited until everyone decided to have a lunch break, Rick decidedly made sure the crib was well put-together and stable way before anyone could do that though. Sara approached her ailing boyfriend, "What's up with you?" He sat in a corner of the room, one of the many sandwiches Carol prepared for the nursery room laborers in his hand and at first Sara wasn't sure he'd heard her at all until he looked over at her, blue eyes hard. "We ain't _all _dealt with babies before." He said it gruffly but the words confused her more so than they did wound her. She could tell by the look on his face that he was worried about hurting her feelings, or maybe he just didn't want to argue now that things with them were perfect.

"What?", She questioned, clearly confused by his statement. She was pretty sure that Daryl used to watch all the children in the trailer park her grew up in when he was a teenager. "Ya said we all dealt with babies before. I ain't dealt with babies before." She pursed her lips before straightening up, leaning in closer to him, which set him a bit on edge as he only leaned away from her. "You're shitting me, right Daryl? You used to baby-sit when you were thirteen." He shook his head lightly, " Baby-sat the littler kids, nobody in a right mind would leave a Dixon alone with a baby." She frowned, knowing the edge in his voice had more to do with something deeper than it did with what those trailer trash parents thought of his family. Sara was displeased, of course. How dare those assholes think that Daryl was good enough to use for the sole purpose of watching the younger children but he wasn't capable enough to watch a baby. "Are you mad at them for assuming it or are you mad at me, thinking that I assumed it too?"

His face distorted with pain for a moment and she'd have sworn someone stabbed him in the stomach. "That's not why I left.", Sara said quickly, moving closer to him, despite the others in the room who were conversing lightly. She moved her hand to his face but he only jerked away, eyes glued to his sandwich and chips that laid on a plastic baggie on the floor in front of him. "I left because I thought that Denny was Chris' baby. I felt like if I stayed and Chris found out about the baby he'd take me to court and I'd lose it. When I found out that Denny was yours, I couldn't just drop everything and leave, even if I wanted to. Plus, I thought of all the negative effect that could have on my four year old son- our four year old son. The only reason I'm sure he responded positively to finding out the truth now is due to the walking flesh eaters. Chris not having been his real dad is the least of his worries and I mean, who wouldn't want you as their Dad…you're amazing." Sara realized she was ranting at some point and stopped, eyes locking with Daryl when he'd finally mustered the strength to look into those eyes that rendered him defenseless. "Hm. Ya wish I was yer Dad too, then?" Sara released a sigh of amusement, leaning closer to his ear to whisper, "You're already my daddy."

She leaned in and bit at his earlobe, quickly moving away, knowing that if anyone saw, Daryl would be highly uncomfortable and that was the last thing she wanted. He reached an arm around her and squeezed one of her ass cheeks. She didn't scream, didn't flinch away, she just gave a barely audible moan as she leaned in to give his lips a quick kiss, surprised when he held his lips to hers a little longer than usual in the company of others. She blushed, face turning five different shades of pink in a short amount of time and nearly burning red upon pulling away from the kiss to find Sebastian eying she and Daryl. "Get a room", Her older cousin spat with conviction. Daryl just flipped the older man off, eyes going back to his lunch, only roaming to look at his girlfriend when she was preoccupied with other things. He only assumed she was thinking of just exactly how to design the room for Lori. He didn't understand why she was doing any of this, but then he decided to let the questioning drop, guessing this was just something she needed to do to release the stress.

* * *

><p>"Hey, curvy bitch.", Lotty said sternly and the moment Sara turned to face her, she could tell her older cousin was only teasing. "What do you want, Lotty?", The brunette said to woman with strawberry blonde hair, a paint roller in her hand and a mask on her mouth to keep her from breathing in paint fumes. "You're really goin' all the way with this nursery, huh?", Lotty started, making sure to stay in the hallway where it was safe to breathe, "Everyone keeps saying how cute your dedication is, workin' late and what not while everyone else is eatin' or sleepin'." Sara paused with rolling another layer of paint onto the wall before she set the damn roller down, heading toward the doorway. She pulled her mask down and let it hang on her neck, her sloppy ponytail bobbing as she settled it there, "What do you want Lotty? I know you and there's always something." Lotty simply shrugged, eyes dark yet carefree. Sara gave her a pressing look and she finally cracked after moments of staring. "Fine, I just wanted to ask you what was up with you and Daryl?" Sara's nose wrinkled a bit and her worry lines showed, "What do you mean?" Lotty sighed and pulled her cousin further out into the hallway, trying to avoid catching whiffs of the paint fumes. "What the hell, has breathing in these fumes caused you to fall victim to your own idiocy? Daryl told me earlier at lunch that you bashed him."<p>

Sara's mouth fell open, she couldn't believe he'd told Lotty, granted he was mad and it was before she fixed her mistake, now her own cousin thought that she was a bitch. "I didn't bash him. I just said we'd all dealt with babies before. And he took it the wrong way." Lotty moved her palm to her face and shook her head and Sara wondered what grave mistake her older cousin could notice that she could have possibly missed. "Are you insane? He already feels bad he wasn't there for Denny's baby years." Sara frowned, she didn't know Daryl had felt that way, not really, she'd only guessed half the story. How the hell could he talk to her cousin about it, but not her? Yeah, Lotty was Daryl's best friend in high school, but she was his lover- his _woman_. Was it _that _hard for him to talk to her? "I want this fixed by the time I get back from hunting with Kelly Rae and Rupert. I don't care if you have to make a whole new baby to make this right. I just want it fixed because, you two are the most important people in my life." Lotty placed both her hands on Sara's shoulders, clearly missing something when Sara raised her eyebrows, amusement blanketing her features. The strawberry blonde gave a look of confusion, a look of questioning, and the other woman somehow managed to hold her laughter as she spoke, "Baby? You're crazy, right? There is no time for that. I can barely keep track of -", She paused and Lotty smirked, "He's downstairs with his Dad, you know, the adorable redneck?" Sara rolled her eyes a bit and Lotty continued to lecture her, "Look, we're safe. We're going to be here for as long as we can. You won't find a better place to get pregnant and spend the next nine months plus to raise the child until it's quiet enough to be out in the world. Besides, you're already a day late on your period, right?"

Sara's eyes widened a fraction as she watched her cousin walking away from her and toward the staircase. Instantly shaking the paralyzing fear, "That's not funny. Daryl and I only had sex yesterday, you cunt." She possibly could be pregnant, she and Daryl hadn't used protection yesterday or at five a.m. that morning when she couldn't get back to sleep after her encounter with Kelly Rae and she decided to have an early morning shower with Daryl, only to fall asleep after they were done. Now she would have to be ten times more careful and she hoped like hell she wouldn't already be facing the consequences. It's like somehow every since Lotty said the words, she felt hexed. Lotty winked at her younger cousin as she rounded to go down the staircase, strawberry blonde hair bouncing after her as she descended.

"Does anyone else think it wasn't exactly the brightest idea to send Kelly Rae out there?", Glenn said, voice laced with doubt as the adults sat around in the family room, absorbing the heat of the fireplace, after dinner when the children were all put to bed. "No, I was thinking the same thing. I don't want Rupert out there with her. She's a psycho waiting to happen.", Stephanie spat, eyes looming at the fireplace. Everyone was a little on edge due to the fact that the three they'd sent out for animals weren't back yet. Daryl was itching to get out into the woods to hunt. It was all new territory and he was eager to learn the ins and outs of it. The only reason he'd stayed put and didn't go out with the others was because he was with his son, teaching him to play chess as he battled Hershel in an enthralling match. He felt bad now, thinking back on it, knowing that Rupert could use his help and back-up. Daryl promised himself that if the British man made it back okay, he'd accompany him the next time. He admired the man, he left his daughter and his wife every time hunting was required and surely Daryl could do the same, but he was allowing his weakness and his fear to overwhelm him, especially at the thought of never making it back to the woman and child he loved so much.

"I think everything will be fine.", Beth squeaked and Lydia looked at her, eyes shaded with a touch of _you've got to be fucking kidding me, right?_ Sara wasn't exactly the most believing either, hands holding to Daryl's as she sat on his lap. "I hope you're right.", She said in barely a whisper. Rick grew weary and hated speaking negatively because if there's anything he learned, he knew that when you spoke or thought negatively, negative things would be the outcome and he was for certain no one in the group could handle that as of that precise moment. "Help!", They heard from the dome garden and all over again, it was like a repeat of Stephanie's accident and she herself had been barely healed enough, T-Dog and Rupert had to help her down the stairs every morning and every night. Everyone sprang to attention and rushed to the foyer, eyes taking in the gruesome sight. "She's hurt really badly.", Hershel stepped forward, eyes questioning what everyone was thinking. "She wasn't bit.", Rupert said simply, the panic still evident in his voice as he held Lotty who lay limp and bloodied in his arms. Sara's hands sprang to her mouth and the tears began to flow, "Is she breathing?", She heard Maggie managed to yell along with the muffled cries of someone, a man. _Sebastian_. Lydia was holding his hand tightly and for the first time, Sara noticed just how Daryl gripped her own. "She's barely breathing, with a gash that size on her head, I wouldn't be surprised if she went into a coma, had a stroke, or went into cardiac arrest. You know the drill everybody." Everyone gathered the things they knew Hershel needed and/or things they thought he'd need but as everything moved quickly around her, Sara was standing still. She turned to face Daryl, her body shivering as she heaved and buried her face into his chest.

* * *

><p>"What the fuck happened?", Daryl exclaimed outside of Lotty's bedroom. Rupert's face was ashen with regret. "Kelly Rae. She deliberately tried to lead a walker back here. Lotty went to stop her and she shot her. The walker bit Kelly Rae and I shot them both." Daryl clearly underestimated this man, he was ten times braver than Daryl suspected. "They were both monsters if you ask me.", Rupert added, a certain tone about his voice that sent chills up a red-eyed Sebastian. Daryl only wore his mouth in a hard line, thinking long and hard about everything that had happened. He couldn't bare the thought of that crazy bitch actually leading one of those <em>things <em>back to Cranbrook; not to where his family was. "What if she dies?", a weak female voice said from a few feet away down the hall and toward the staircase and it caught Daryl's attention. Sara was a wreck and more so that Daryl could possibly know. She was the last one to talk to her cousin and it would be the thing that killed her if the walkers didn't get to her first..

"She lost a lot of…", Hershel trailed off and stopped speaking when he noticed Sara's presence in the hallway, eyes shaded with something that Sara had seen one too many times in her life. When her mother was leaving, when Daryl let her leave him, when her sister Lindy was turning; it was grief, sadness, and fear all rolled up into one. "She's passed." The words felt like a thousand knives and her body grew colder by the second. Daryl reached for her, they all did but she was too far out of reach. She was _gone_.


	9. Author's Note:

A/N: New chapter should be up on Friday.

I know I've been slacking when it comes to updates but i'm centimeters

away from graduation and I've been trying to stay focused after almost a full year of slacking.

but my last full day of school is tomorrow, then graduation rehearsals are Thursday and there is no school Friday.

I've been busy with final exams today and yesterday, so I have been swamped this week.

I have actually gotten about three pages deep with chapter 9 and i usually do like eight or seven pages for you guys.

So you guys can definitely be expecting an update Friday, and more regularly since school is letting out for me.


	10. Life Is A Bitch

A/N: Sort of a short chapter, small surprise toward the end. Just a bit of SARYL aftermath and how they're reacting to losing Lotty. Their relationship is basically on the brink and it just started again, but hopefully they can manage to work things out seeing as how their allegiance will need to be strong what with the arrival of new guests. Hope you guys enjoy this hella short, tease of a chaper. XOXO.

* * *

><p>"Hershel said she didn't feel much pain after the anesthesia set in half way through the surgery." Daryl said, voice weak and strained. Sara ignored the sound of it, she didn't want him to know that she or anyone else had actually heard him go down to the cellar and scream his brains out. Everyone had heard. "When he was sure she was gone…he…he pricked at her brain with a scalpel."<p>

Sara was facing away from him, sat on the window seat of their bedroom, gazing out at the forest ahead of her, green embers seeming to be the most beautiful things in existence as the morning sun shone over them. She hadn't spoken to anyone since receiving the bad news. Denny had come to see his mother on many occasions during the night and the morning, Daryl's anguished screams seeming to wake the children some time early that morning. Her son had always been there to comfort her through every loss she'd been dealt but this time was different, it left her feeling hollow, it made her lose what hope she clung to. She didn't speak to the boy, only held him in her arms until he fell back asleep.

Daryl had come into the room, surprised to see their son in the bed but he ignored it and started pursuing her with the words he knew she didn't want to hear any more than he wanted to say them. He was sat beside her on the window seat, hopelessly gazing at her almost in the same way as she gazed at the forest, but even he knew the look in her eyes were empty while the look in his own were filled with worry. All he wanted, in that moment, was for her to look at him- for her to look at him and for her eyes to be filled with love. "I lost her too. Ya could 'least look at me."

Sara flinched lightly, feeling all types of discomfort in her own skin. She turned her head, eyes glancing down at what was, other than his words, mostly responsible for her flinching. His hand was touching hers. The brunette looked up at him, dark circles around her eyes due to lack of sleep and consistent crying. He sighed, eyes flooding with relief while he watched her eyes filling with not only life, but tears. Her eyes were alive again, he was thankful he had that power over her; the ability to bring her back when she'd strayed too closely to the edge. "I know you lost her too. She was your best friend." She croaked, voice cracking with heavy emotion.

Daryl opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came, there was nothing. All he wanted to do was comfort her but he didn't know how. How could he possibly know? She could read his expression and she was quick to stop his thoughts, "It's not what you think. I'm not upset because you're hurting over this, I understand perfectly. But it was the fact that we talked before she left and she said you told her about what I said in the nursery….about dealing with babies?" A look of frustration passed onto the redneck's face. How could Sara be obsessing over something at a time like that, he thought. "She told me to make this right…to make it up to you." Daryl could see the hysteria playing out on her face as it started to transform and he was quick to take her in his arms, shushing her as she cried and spoke unintelligible words. "S'alright. Yer alright.", he murmured over and over until she seemed to believe it, calming down a great deal as her body rested against his.

Sara loved Daryl more than anything, that was for certain, but at that moment the only person she wanted was "Charlotte..", she whined the woman's name in anguish as she curled up against her strong yet comforting boyfriend who was sure to be hurting just as much. He'd known Lotty since childhood, granted the woman was her cousin and she'd known her since birth, Sara never understood her cousin's friendship with Daryl Dixon. When Sara thought back hard enough she realized that, in a way, it was Lotty who forced she and the socially problematic man together in the first place.

Lotty would always drop hints about Daryl, but it was pretty much at a time when Sara was too young and dumb to understand the magnetic impulses she felt whenever he was near or the way he watched over her. Then after finding out the pair were having sex, her older cousin appeared to be angry or mistrusting, but it was now that Sara fully understood it to be an act or just her protectiveness over the two of them coming into play. Lotty knew that if things ended on a sour note, she'd be forced to choose between them and that alone would've killed her. "Do you know what she said to me the night after finding out I wasn't pregnant? The night of the fair?", Daryl's interest peaked and he made a humming sound, chest moving outward quickly before dipping back into it's normal rhythm as he breathed and held her close to him, "She told me not to mess this up. She said and I quote, _Daryl's not a toy and neither are you, so you'd better figure this thing out. 'Cause that man working the ring toss? He can either be the best thing for ya or the worst. Don't fuck it up, Sars_… I didn't listen to her. And it took ten years just to get you back."

He gave a sigh of relief, he was relieved upon receiving the knowledge of what went on in that girly ass brain of hers. He was for certain that he was losing her and he didn't like it. "Wha' else did Lotty say?" She cringed lightly, attempting a quick recovery soon afterward; but she would have to be damn quick to slip anything past Daryl Dixon, "Nothing." She leapt from his arms a little too quickly and used the fact that it wasn't exactly the best time to talk as an excuse, eyes averting to a stirring Denny. "He's fine. Boy could sleep through you screamin' in ecstasy,_ in a war zone_, _durin' World War II_," the man had a seriousness about him but, Sara wasn't tuned into it as much as she should have been.

"I'm serious.", He urged. Sara folded her arms, head busy with thoughts- and none of them good. "I can't talk anymore, Daryl. I just want to be left alone." Her eyes didn't meet his, no matter how long he stared at her. He stood up, moving over to her slowly, eyes squinted as he looked her over with great scrutiny. "Yer the one who jus' said it took ten years an' now yer just pushin' me away. Wha' sense does it make to have me if yer jus' gonna be with me durin' the good times an' then stay the fuck 'way from me durin' the bad? I know I ain't got the best track record when it comes to stickin' around for ya, but thas' when I thought it was for yer own good. I'm here now, an' even back then, I was always there when ya needed an' wanted. Hell, even when you didn't want me."

Daryl didn't yell it, but Sara could tell he wanted to. If it had not been for Denny, he probably would have. She knew he was right, he was right about everything. He had always been there; When her dad was out of town, playing games, and she was lonely or sad; When her mother left; When she'd get into fights; When she dumped Roy; When Louis dumped her; When she thought she was pregnant; When she dumped Chris; And even though he wasn't invited and she was sure no one else noticed him but her, he was even at her wedding when she'd decided to take Chris' sorry ass back. Daryl was in every major moment in her life, he was there, in some way or another when she thought back.

"Why were you at Stephanie Banks' party that night?", She blurted. His face wore a more confusing look than the usual. "What? Are ya seriously goin' back to somethin' tha' happened more than ten years ago, s'pecting me to remember." She gave the straightest expression she could manage. She knew Daryl was bullshitting, she knew for a fact he remembered Stephanie Banks' party because that was the night they celebrated she and Louis being together officially by jumping off the town bridge in nothing but their underwear. Lotty was there, it was actually her whole idea. She gave an entirely new meaning to the phrase 'If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do it too', hell, she was probably the reason parents started saying it. "Don't play stupid. That day, you told Lotty, Lindy, and I that you couldn't go because Lydia's dad had you working late at the garage. You also said, you 'didn't want to hang out with a bunch of townee idiots anyhow'. Your words, not mine. But then, that night... there you were."

Daryl eyed her. It wasn't unknown to most people back then that Daryl wondered just how in the fuck Sara remembered all the little shit, but nearly choked to death on panic attacks when she was having a hard time remembering the bigger moments in life. Or maybe she just remembered everything revolving around the budding relationship and bond that she'd held with him. "Word got 'round fast in our town. Louis was plannin' to violate you an' I intended to stop him 'cause half the towns population, the men, knew just how much of a creep Louis was an' I ain't see nobody else tryin' to save your ass." Sara scowled lightly, only at the fact that even then, Daryl thought he owned her. Even if he kind of did, didn't mean he could go around acting all willy nilly with the power he held over her. Especially not back then, when everyone was questioning their friendship.

"What stopped you?", She managed. "Lotty. Stopped me soon as she saw me pullin' up to the place like a bat outta hell. Told me tha' I just needed to let it happen, that it was part of you fallin' in love with me. You needed to be with absolute dicks until you was ready emotionally...an' stuff. At first, I acted like I didn't know wha' the fuck she was talkin' 'bout. But she an' I both knew that after wha' happened with Roy, I didn't want you to be hurt again." Sara remembered just what he was referring to, in that moment. It wasn't the break-up in general that had got to her, and Daryl was the only one who knew that.

* * *

><p><em>"Are ya alrigh'?", He asked as he swaggered up to the porch, blue eyes looking as if he had intent to kill, but she knew his inner anger- the anger he fought so hard to keep under wraps- was far from aimed at her. She simply nodded in response to his words and he immediately decided to call her on her bullshit. "No, none of that tonight. Tell me wha' happened or i'll go beat the crap out of Bishop until he cracks."<em>

_Sara gave a sigh of defeat, gesturing for Daryl to come take a seat beside her on the porch swing. Daryl raised an eyebrow at her, hesitant to make any sudden movements as his feet remained planted on the first step. "My dad is out of town.", She said, rolling her eyes slightly as she reassured him. Daryl plomped up the stairs after shrugging, finding it sad that the man of the house, Mr. Greene, distrusted his prescence so much that he initiated a 'that boy ain't allowed past the second step' rule. Daryl chuckled inside at the older man's paranoia before sitting down next to Sara, the swing jerking away from it's current motion as he did. She looked over at him, a certain sadness in her eyes that set him on edge. If she was upset, he was upset. That was how it had always been for him._

_"He said that I'm too close to you. Said that we're probably fucking behind his back because I wouldn't have sex with him. I'm just not ready for...that... yet.", She stumbled toward the end of her words, a wave of self-consciousness crashing over her. She and Daryl had never discussed anything like this. They clearly weren't as close as everyone thought, she blushed just talking about sex around him. Daryl scoffed lightly. "He's a dick with a tiny prick in his pants, ya don't need him. Or any guy who tries to force somethin' you ain't ready for." Sara smiled faintly at his efforts to cheer her up and it was obvious he cared, he was livid. "I'm serious, Sara. Plus, the bastard couldn't even trust ya, thas' a sure sign tha' he was probly cheatin' on ya." His words didn't make her feel that much better, she'd rather think he was just self-concious than think he was cheating on her._

_"Daryl.. that's not helping," She groaned lightly. " I would just rather feel like men are incapable of loving me. Like something's wrong with me..." __Daryl interrupted her, taking her hand in his and holding it tightly, eyes damn near piercing a hole through that thick skull of hers. "There ain't nothin' wrong with ya. Yer perfect." Even if Sara believed him, she couldn't seem to shake all the evidence from her mind. _

_"Then why does everyone leave me? Is it because i'm just too damn perfect and they feel like they can't live up to my expectations or something? That sure as hell can't be the reason." Sara was on the verge of crying and Daryl moved in to cup her face. "Hey. Shh. People leave ya because they're idiots." She shook her head, disagreeing with him until he forced her head still. "Look at me. There is a guy out there who will be just wha' you need, you'll find him. But he sure as hell ain't gonna be nothin' like Roy Bishop."_

_She leaned in close to him tears falling down her face and he caught them with his thumbs. She believed him, more than anything she did. Daryl might not have seemed like much to the people in town, but he was smarter than most. She moved in swiftly, placing a chaste kiss onto his slightly chapped lips. She hung there for a moment, tangling her lips with his and he had actually let her._

_She breathed him in. He smelled of motor oil and mint, and his mouth worked magic. She groaned, arms moving around his body as they both moved in close. As her tongue moved into his mouth, she could feel she'd crossed the line and Daryl was just then realizing it as his body stiffened and he started to pull away from her. _

_"What the hell, Sara?" He exclaimed at her, eyes widening with knowing of what could have happened if he didn't snap out of it. Her father was out of town, her sister was at Lotty's, they could have easily made their way inside and in the shape she was in, that was the last thing she needed. That was their first kiss and Daryl hated the fact that it probably meant absolutely nothing to her compared to what it meant for him. "I'm sorry.." She said simply before standing up and going inside the house in a rush. He didn't follow her, he just went home._

A few weeks later, she was dating Louis, and they seemed pretty serious. Two months later, she lost her virginity to him. Daryl didn't regret pushing her away, not in the least. Way he saw it was, he wasn't made for taking anyone's virginity, felt like women would get attached. But then on the other side of things, he wouldn't have minded taking her virginity, cause he could use some of that clingyness right now to save their relationship that had only just started but seemed to be hanging in the balance.

"I didn't sleep with him really, you know? Louis." Daryl seemed confused at hearing her words but he didn't interrupt where this was going, he let her continue. "I just let him finger me... a lot. Gave him a blowjob, he ate me out. End of discussion. I let him tell everyone we had sex because we basically did... I just...I couldn't let him do it to me. Not when I wanted you to be the first. And I've felt so bad for so many years because you didn't know. No one knew, not even Lotty. And she knows everything...or, at least, she knew. "

Daryl froze for a moment, going over it all in his head, it actually made a lot of sense now. He wasn't mad at her for keeping it from her, it wouldn't have made a difference if he knew or not. Hell she did him a favor, helping him look past the whole virgin thing. He himself knew that he probably wouldn't have slept with her if he knew.

He moved towards her, upset about how sad she looked, how drained from the past weeks events and as soon as he was close enough, he embraced her tightly. "I ain't mad. I just need ya to talk to me. Ya know me, same old Dixon, I ain't goin' nowhere. Ya have to let me in so I don't feel like i'm losin' ya. I've been there for you yer whole life, even when you couldn't see me, I was there. I need ya to trust me."

She nodded at his words, knowing they held truth. "I'm sorry, I'm just so unhinged and I feel like I'm falling. The thing is, whenever I would fall, Lotty was always there to talk to me when I wasn't sure I could always depend on you, and even when I knew I could. I need her. I've never completely controlled any major aspects of my life, she's always had input. That's just how Lotty was." Daryl held her tighter as she began to shake, her words coming out in harsh whispers. "I love you, okay. I ain't goin' anywhere."

"You can't promise me that", She lashed at him, hands moving to push him away from her. And there it was, the reason behind all the mistrust. She felt like she couldn't get too close. This wasn't an apocalyse problem, this was just a Sarafina Greene problem. Before the end of the world, she'd always been afraid of getting too close, afraid that people would leave her. And Daryl wasn't exactly sure if he'd made that fear worse or if he'd made it better. He left her for her own good, but that made him just as bad as all the others who'd ever abandoned her because, of course, they thought they were leaving her for her own good too.

They all were idiots- they failed to realize that all she needed was them, what was best for her was for them to stay with her and let her make her own decisions about her own life. If anything, the end of the world was no help to this abandonment complex she'd managed to develop.

He yanked her back to him, eyes hard as they were now far enough apart to look at eachother, "I can't, no. But I will never willin'ly leave ya. Ever. I got off huntin' duty just so I wouldn't have to leave you an' Denny alone for fear I would never come back when Rupert damn near takes billions on billions of risks an' has a wife an' kid just as I got you an' Denny. He's yer brother-in-law, for fuck sake." Sara shook even harder as Daryl raised his voice half an octave.

He saw her reaction of fear and sighed, instantly recovering from the rise of emotion. "I can't lose you." She said it so quietly, he barely noticed. He pulled her in close and they stood like that for a while before they heard a lot of racket coming from downstairs and the front yard. They jerked away from eachother all too quickly, knowing that no one else should have been up this early, the ceremony for Lotty's burial wasn't until later that day. The only people who should have been awake were Hershel and Sebastian, who were both bitter as ever at the loss of their fallen family member. Sara was pretty sure she'd heard a lot of her housemates downstairs, shouting and panicking.

Daryl ran ahead of her, and instructed her to stay with Denny. Sara did as she was told reluctantly, and when Daryl yanked open their bedroom door, he nearly ran smack into Lori who's face was damp with early morning sweat.

"Wha' the hell is goin' on woman?" He practically shouted. Denny stirred and sat up in bed, a combination of Daryl's uncontained shouting and the racket from the first floor having woke him. "Some woman found Carlos and brought him back, causing all kinds of noise. She called Rupert from Carlos' Verizon and we let her in before any walkers could be attracted, but everyone's going insane. Especially that crazy woman. Rick's got things simmered and under control, though."

Daryl raised an eyebrow at the skinny brunette, "You call that simmered? Yer crazy as fuck, woman." Sara ushered Denny over to the door where Daryl stood planted firmly in the doorway and they watched while Lori rushed past them up and down the hall collecting items for a good seven minutes. When she'd disappeared, the noise of bickering quieted down and Sara thought it would be safe for them to go down and get a look. Daryl was still dead-set against either of them being in distance of Carlos, or a crazy woman but he obliged. "Stay behind me."

They all made their way down the grand stair case and when they finally made it to the bottom, they caught glimpse of everything. Carlos laid unconscious on the floor as Rick and Rupert watched Hershel tending to his minor scrapes and cuts, everyone else huddled around either handing Hershel supplies, or doing nothing in particular.

They could hear the voice of a woman, but she wasn't in sight yet. The bottom step creaked beneath Sara's foot, Daryl had known better to skip it, and everyone looked to them. Daryl was first to see her as a tiny path cleared to reveal her, a bit of shock on his face. Sara looked up slowly, still having not recovered from drawing attention to the three of them. Denny lunged from the stairs and past his parents like a rocket and it was the same moment that his words reached her ears that she nearly fainted at the sight her eyes took in.

"Grams!" Denny cried out, crossing the foyer and reaching the living room to jump into her open arms. The woman sobbed at the contact, eyes never leaving her daughter over her grandson's tiny shoulder. Everyone else looked faintly shocked and slack-jawwed.

Of course Hershel wouldn't have recognized the woman, having disowned his younger brother, Sara's father. And she left well before Sebastian had ever started coming over to their home. Daryl, aside from Denny, was the only one there who could identify her, and boy was she happy to see the two of them standing at the bottom of the staircase together, hand in hand

"Mom?" Sara said faintly, but loud enough for everyone to hear, her body going completely numb.


	11. Death Is Her Sister

"Would you quit looking at me?" Sara snapped, finally averting her gaze to find her mother staring at her- just as she suspected.

Lydia was, quite frankly, surprised at Sara's outburst. Back in simpler times, Sara practically worshiped the ground her mother walked on. Then again, under the circumstances, she could sort of understand the hostility. Lotty's death was something that was sure to put a damper on her best friend's mood for a while. Maybe for more than a while. "I'm just so happy to see you. I thought I'd never see you again."  
>Sara tried her damndest not to swear at her mother, especially in front of Denny. She was just so angry, she didn't think anything would bring her down from it. And she wasn't the only one aware of the explotion that was sure to come, Daryl's hand finding her shoulder even with Lydia between them. Sara gave the fakest smile she could muster, but her mother paid her no mind, and just went blabbering on as Rick and Glenn asked questions like, "How did you come across Carlos?" Or "How did you get separated from Sara?" It was then, at Glenn's question that she had to interject, even when she saw Glenn wondering who's foot he had stepped on when Maggie gave him a panicked look.<p>

"She didn't get separated from me. Did ya mom? You left all on your own. Packed up everything and left me and Lindy to our own devices when it came to dealing with our adolescent years." At the mention of her other daughter, the woman formely known as Deborah Greene had sparkles in her eyes and Sara found herself to be fighting off the tears as she proceeded to speak, answering an unspoken question, "She's dead, mom." Her mother grew a few shades paler and the room grew quiet. Daryl was the one to break the silence when he glaced over at the loveseat where Glenn sat, face marred with guilt. "Sara..", She ignored it, Of course. She wasn't feeling up to showing much remorse today. Not after losing Lotty. She just couldn't. And she couldn't care less about her mother having discovered a man perched in a tree nearly lifeless, that man being Carlos. She also couldn't care less about how her mother used her excellent tracking skills to find Cranbrook and bring him back here. All she could think about was all the times that she or Lindy were metophorically perched in some tree and their mother was nowhere in sight to help them. Not to mention, Sara was having so much damn trouble with being Daryl's woman because she had never been properly taught how to be a woman in the first place. By the time her Dad married Sylvia, its was far too late for her.

"I'll be painting the nursery, if anybody needs me. Please, try your best not to need me." Sara got up from the couch, shrugging away Daryl's hand that rested on her shoulder for comfort as she did. As she made her way up the staircase, she could make out her mother inquiring who was pregnant. Of course, Deborah assumed it was Sara, but Lori and Daryl were quick to correct her. Sara only rolled her eyes before pausing at hearing Daryl utter the words, "Let's hope not." He laughed lightly soon after but she didn't stick around on the staircase to find out if his words were sincere or just farce.

Hours later and his words still rang through her head, and Lotty's. Sara did her best to tune the words out, slamming her paint roller against the wall repeatedly as she muttered words out of annoyance. "Who does she think she is? COMING IN HERE LIKE THAT," She said in a whisper to herself, nearly dropping the roller when she saw Sebastian standing in the doorway. "You scared the shit out of me, Sebastian." He squinted lightly, the dark circles from lack of sleep that night evident on his face. "It's time for the burial. Then after, we was all plannin' to sit down to dinner. C'mon." She could clearly tell he was on edge, but she thought he was mostly just unhinged around her. "In a minute. I have to get changed and freshen up a bit." She nodded a bit, setting her roller down in its trey before putting a protective seal over it. Noticing something a second later. Sebastian. She'd called him Sebastian for the first time in years and he did nothing to correct her. As she walked past him into the hallway, she made note to talk things out with him, because surely they were both grief-stricken and needed the comfort of one another. Sure, Lyd and Daryl were good companions but something told her that she and Sebastian just needed family support over all. Especially now that they were alert to the fact that losing more family was a possibility somewhere down the line.

* * *

><p>"Yer lookin' beautiful," Daryl said, entering the room in a plain black tee and some crisp black jeans. Sara was in the process of trying to zip her black dress up, the fabric being resistant against her damp, fresh-out-of-the-shower skin. It was the dress she'd worn to Bubba Lovett's funeral when she was visiting home a few years ago and it had somehow got into her things as she packed in a hurry to get she and Denny to safety when the infection hit. Thinking back, she didn't even really know Bubba, he was Daryl's friend. Part of her said she'd known him just so she could sneak away from Chris to comfort Daryl during a time of loss. "Thanks..", She muttered, sighing when he stepped closer to her, moving her hands away to make room for his as he attempted to zip the dress. Once he'd finished, his hands lingered before moving down her back until they made it to her hips and rested there. He moved in even closer, though Sara was sure that it wasn't possible for him to get any damn closer, and took in the scent of her skin. One of his hands moved to brush her hair to one side so that he could kiss the bare skin of her neck.<p>

Daryl's movements were more out of comfort than sexual pretenses, that much Sara was sure of, but she still flinched away regardless. She moved to find her shoes on the other side of their bedroom, leaving him to clutch nothing but air. He looked over at her and she, back at him. "What?" She asked innocently, knowing damn well she'd just given him the slip. He sighed, feeling like it was a repeat of this morning, like he was being shut out all over again. In a way, he was. But this time it wasn't for no reason or her insecurities- this time it was because of what he'd said behind her back. "You know damn well wha'," He said it in a much calmer tone than Sara expected, but she just ignored it, jaws clenching lightly as she slid into her black Chanel flats.

"I can not do this with you right now, Daryl. Too much shit is going on. My mother is downstairs for fuck sake. Lotty is dead. I don't need you, getting snappy with me," She stood up at the last part of her sentence, storming her way toward the bedroom door. Daryl caught her mid-stride and pulled her aside as she struggled to get out of his arms. He slung her at the bed and she plopped down onto it, sitting up as quickly as she could, fists balled up and ready to take a swing. "Go on! Hit me!" Daryl yelled at her as he moved in close. She sat there on the edge of the bed, eyes locked to him, visibly shaking with anger. "I obviously wasn't bitchin' at ya OR bein' snappy! I was tryin' to comfort ya! An' you pulled away, bein' the bitch ya are!" She fliched at his words, he'd never called her a name before, he was obviously fuming but she didn't care. She was just as angry.

"DON'T YOU DARE call me a bitch, Daryl Dixon. You want to know what being a bitch is. Then try having a girlfriend who is scared to death to be next in this house to fall victim to the pregnancy bug and then let her overhear you pray to god that she never gives him anymore children," She stood, her face close to his as he stood aswell, "Now that's being a bitch." She walked around him and he did little to stop her as she vacated the room, leaving him alone with the most idiotic look on his face.

* * *

><p>"Would you like to say some words, Sara?" Hershel had asked her the question for the second time. She was hesitant to answer before nodding. Everyone else had already spoke, Daryl just before her, and she really didn't have much choice in the matter. She avoided Daryl's hard yet apologetic stare from across the hole in the ground that they'd dug and filled in once Lotty's body was thrown in it. She walked to where Hershel was standin and stood beside him so that everyone gathered could see her and hear her properly. She held a loose-leaf paper and hand, eyes glued to it as she braced herself.<p>

"You're very ugly," She started, "According to my dad and Uncle Jack, those were the first words my older cousin said to me. It was the day I was born, and she and her older brother, Sebastian, were just as thrilled as my parents were to see me. A couple years later, on my tenth birthday, I was sitting on the front porch and I can vividly remember being upset because none of the other kids wanted to play with me because my sister, Lindy, had something much more interesting for them to see at the park. Lotty was, much to my surprise, the only one who stayed behind. Being seventeen at the time, she knew much more about life than I did and she'd been in my shoes," She paused for a moment to sigh, tears streaming down her cheeks, "So when I asked her why she was always there for me when I needed her the most she just looked at me with those eyes that all the boys went crazy for and said, 'Silly girl, don't you know I had to wait seven years for a best friend like you? Don't you know I ain't letting you out of my sight? I'll always be here. Hell, part of me thinks that the only reason you were born seven years apart was so that at moments like this," She paused again, shaking furiously as she sobbed. It took all of her strength to will herself to continue, "... so that at moments like this, I could tell you with great honesty and wisdom that you're the best thing that could ever happen to anyone.' She was wrong about that, though. Because she was the one who was the best thing that could happen to anyone, and I know that from experience. She's the reason for every good thing in my life." Sara's eyes found Denny who was clucthed at Daryl's side, crying. "She was the reason that love became an option in my life when, for me, it was always out of reach. She was everything to me; my best friend, my mother when I needed it, and my conscience when I didn't want it. And for that, she will be missed."

Lydia and Stephanie moved to where Sara was and nurtured her, and from over their shoulders she could see Daryl, standing there while everyone else moved into the dome garden so they could get into the house. Lydia retreated, placing a kiss on Sara's head and explaining she should go see how Sebastian was doing, leaving the step-sisters alone. Sara glanced up to where Daryl had been standing after a brief second of looking elsewhere only to find he'd vanished into the house aswell. She wasn't too worried, she'd see him at dinner, and if not, she was sure to be cornered into another argument once she went up to bed. Stephanie was pulling away from her now, visibly sad about something else entirely now. "Oh, Sara," She whined in a way that her words were almost inaudible. Sara's forehead creased with worry as she looked at the other woman. "What's wrong?" She sniffed, moving her thumbs to catch Stephanie's tears. "I had a miscarriage..."

Sara's eyes nearly fell out of her head, "What?" Stephanie nodded slowly before taking a few deep breaths. "Remember a few days ago, I said we needed to talk? I was a few weeks pregnant. But, I lost the baby the night that Denny came home and I didn't want to tell anyone and I begged Hershel not to because before I knew it, Lotty had died." Sara wore shock on her face, pulling her sister in for a tight embrace before breathing the words, "I am so sorry." Sara stroked Stephanie's hair for the longest time before Deborah was calling out to them from the dome garden that no one would start eating until they joined them. The girls exchanged meaningful glances before taking each others hand, walking toward the dome garden entrance as they wiped away their ever falling tears.

* * *

><p>Everyone was talking amongst eachother, very quietly, discussing a variety of things. Rick was talking to Glenn and T-Dog about how Carlos was handcuffed upstairs in his room. Lori, Carol and Deborah were discussing the service. Lydia was comforting Sebastian. Carl, Izzy, and Denny were talking about Heaven. Maggie, Beth, and Hershel were reminiscing on family times. And Daryl, Rupert and Stephanie were debating about what speech best depicted who Lotty was. Sara's head was spinning so much from all of the chatter that she'd somehow zoned out and didn't hear a word Deborah said to her. "What?" She asked, finally free from her daze, everyone's eyes on her. "I said, you're looking a little faint there. You barely touched your food, " Deborah repeated.<p>

"Oh..." Sara looked down at her plate, fork in her hand as she swirled and messed the food about, "I'm not really hungry." She dropped her eating utensil and rubbed at her eyes. Her mother eyed her peculiarly, more so than anyone else at least. "You should eat something," Carol tried. A few voices spoke words of agreement before Sebastian bellowed, "If she don't want to eat, she ain't gotta." Quite frankly, him speaking at all was a surprised to both Lydia and Sara. They knew better to address it though. "I might actually turn in early, I'm exhausted." Daryl cleared her throat and she brought her attention to him where he sat across the table in between Rupert and Deborah. "Something you wanna say, Daryl?" She kinked her eyebrow, challenging him, but he said nothing. Deborah laughed lightly. "What is so funny, Deborah?" Her mother sighed sweetly before shaking her head a bit, "Nothing, just if I didn't know any better, I'd swear you had all the makin' of a future mother to be." Her mother caught a smug look on her face and sat back in her chair, arms behind her head. Daryl didn't look at Sara. "I'm already a mother, can't say as much for you."

Sara got up from the table, leaving her un-eaten meal behind and Denny wasn't too far behind her ready to be tucked in for bed. By the time she finished getting him to sleep, she'd known Daryl would be in the bedroom waiting to start a fight. She braced herself at the doorway before barging in. He was sat on the bed, undo-ing his shoelaces. He didn't even look up at her when he spoke. "This ain't goin' to work." She froze, an ache working it way into the hollow of her chest. "What?" He sighed, chucking one of his shoes aside, still not looking at her. "You and me. It ain't workin'. It ain't never been this hard for us before. An' I know shit is different now, wha' with the world endin'... But yer 'posed to take away my stress. Not add to it an' vice versa."

"You're breaking up with me," She breathed the words, leaning up against the wall opposite to him. He may not have been looking at her, but she sure as hell couldn't keep her eyes from being glued to him. "Unless you can give me one good reason righ' now not to, yeah," He finally looked at her and it was then that he knew; he knew his words had pierced her. "I love you, Daryl. That should be reason enough. And yes, I don't know if I can change and be one-hundred percent open with you. Especially not when you aren't completely upfront with me," She moved forward, making her way to him, tears in her eyes. He sighed as she got on her knees and kneeled before him.

He looked down at her, "Yer righ'. I shoulda told you wha' I thought about you gettin' pregnant again. I shoulda told you tha' it's scarin' the hell outta me, watchin' you an' how dedicated ya are with tha' nursery. I'm scared of all of tha', not cause I don't want a baby, but 'cause I don't wanna fuck up like I did the first time around. But woman, you can't blame me for not tellin' you tha'. Ya still ain't told me wha' Lotty said to you 'fore she left."

It was highly evident that after she left the dining area, everyone must've had a few drinks; in Daryl's case, more than a few, she could smell it on him. She looked up at him, a weary expression on her face as his thumbs wiped away what was sure to be the millionth set of tears she'd cried in the last forty-eighy hours, "She told me that you were heartbroken about not being around during Denny's baby years and that I should make a whole new baby to make up for it, " Sara snorted at how silly it all sounded now, "Like I could just get eggs, milk, and batter and bake one up or something." Daryl looked down at her as she chuckled lightly for a few moments before the bout of laughter turned into another bout of tears. He stroked her cheek to calm her for a few moments and after she'd settled down, she looked up at him, sure she looked a complete mess; that was the beauty of it though, because so did he. She moved her hands to remove his remaining shoe for him, chucking it aside to where the other was. The action made Daryl kink his eyebrow questioningly, until he felt her hands moving up his legs in a sensual manner, stopping just as they reached his thighs. She raised up so that she was a bit more leveled with him and he took the hint, moving forward to catch her mouth with his.

They shed the clothing off of Daryl's body, and when it came to Sara, they hardly bothered. Daryl hoisted her dress up as she straddled his completely naked body, they were in too much of a rush to care about getting the dress off so soon. Her lips found his neck and the space between her legs throbbed upon hearing the way his breath hitched. Daryl's hands roamed underneath the dress and thought he was usually the type who didn't rush when he was about to get intimate with his woman, this wasn't one of those times. Daryl was tipsy and hornier than hell and it didn't help much that she was the one who initiated the sex. He threw her off of him and onto the bed. She landed on her stomach, slightly confused but, she didn't care to protest. She knew that no matter what he was up to, she'd be getting off one way or another. He hovered above her and lifted her dress again, this time tearing the fabric up until he could just throw the mess of cloth aside, Sara didn't know where the be scared or turned on. Daryl's hands found her black lace thong and he ripped that off too and of course, she hadn't been wearing a bra. He positioned himself correctly, grabbing her by the hips. Sara took the hint and raised up on her arms and knees, figuring this was the position he wanted, and she couldn't blame him, it was her favorite too. He gave her ass a smack, thus causing her to groan out. He leaned forward against her ass and pressed his member up against it, using her ass to stroke himself. She found herself enjoying it more than she originally thought she would. With the moans escaping her, he was hard in no time, and with his arm anchored around her torso as he hunched over her and his hand between her legs, fingers stroking her furiously, she was getting wetter by the second.

"You ready?" He whispered the words in her ear and she replied by moaning yes. He sat up, taking his hand and fisting himself a few good times before he angled it right and slid inside of her, the walls of her pussy engulfing his cock for what felt like the first time in a long time. "Make-up sex; gotta love it," he groaned as he started to thrust slowly to get a feel for it, hands gripping tightly at her waist. She moaned loudly, she couldn't help but to with the pleasure he was giving her. He hunched over her again, his body shadowing over hers. He rested his head on her shoulder and his hands laid ontop of hers as he locked their fingers, thrusting faster and faster before slowing down just to tease her and to establish a rhythm. "F-fuck!" She managed to say, turning her head slightly as she felt him panting at her neck. "You like tha'?" He said, rolling his hips as he continued to fuck her like the horny dog he was. She nodded in reply to his question, whining as he moved his right hand to grip at her hair, making her arch her neck so that he could bite at it to level his sexual frustration. After a few moments like that, Sara was parched, nearly sweating her body into dehydration, but she still perservered long enough to see Daryl switching positions. She'd known he would, Daryl loved eye contact when he orgasmed. After pulling out, he slammed her down on her back before she had time to protest, repositioning his rock hard cock to enter her once more. Sara stiffened at first but welcomed it again, her walls constricting around it once more and her pelvis already sore from his roughness. Daryl sucked air through his teeth as he began thrusting again, pumping in and out of her in the classic missionary. His eyes refused to leave hers, and even when she'd close them for a second to make love face after love face, the pleasure comsuming her, she'd open her eyes to see him watching her.

The bed was shaking and Sara would swear she was in ecstasy, eyes rolling back into her head momentarily as she tried to hold onto her climax for as long as possible. They'd been at it for hours and she could see the frustration on Daryl's face as he started bucking his hips against hers, and not to mention the groaning and panting. She sunk her nails deep into his back, arching her own as she opened her legs wider to allow him deeper, sure he'd hit her g-spot and when he'd finally reached it, Sara could hear church bells ring. She came and squirted all of her well-earned juices all over his cock. All it took was a few more hard thrusts and he shot off inside of her too. Her body relaxed as he drained inside of her, which she found funny because she could feel his body tensing up on top of her. "I love you," He panted when his body finally relaxed, placing a passionate kiss on her lips afterward. She kissed him back, words jumbled as she spoke against his mouth to say, "I love you more."

"I love you most," Daryl said, breaking away from the kiss as he pulled out of her, clearly ending the battle because there was no way in hell Sara was going to argue with the man who gave her the best sex of her life.

* * *

><p>Long after Daryl had fallen asleep, Sara laid with her head rested on his chest, wondering what was going through his mind as he snored. "Would you quit starin' at me," He said in a groggy voice and she nearly jumped out of her skin upon hearing him. "I'm not staring," She protested. He opened his eyes to looked down at her groaning lightly as he stretched beneath her. She shifted awkwardly before lifting up slightly, sitting up on her elbow as she looked at him. He moved in a kissed her lips lightly before saying, "I think I know starin' when I see it. Now go to sleep." She moved in and bit down on his lower lip before pulling away to basically purr, "Make me." He pinched her nose between his fingers and she laughed while simultaneously expressing her pain. He pulled her in close again by the nose before releasing it, big muscley arms pulling her against his chest again, blue eyes looking down at her. "No arguments. Sleep."<p>

He commanded her to do it, and normally she would've fought against it, but she knew he was only worried for her well-being so she cuddled up to him, closed her eyes, and drifted off.


	12. Lost

"Merle, you piece uh shit."

"Best hold yer tongue, Darylina," He slurred, leaning against a wall in the darkness. A lamp switched on and the confines of Daryl's room was revealed. The younger of the two sat up in bed, hair frazzled from sleep, eyes trained to his intruder. "First, ya pull tha' shit at the lake an' now yer breakin' in my house?"

Merle took a swig from the bottle in his hand, glancing at it as though it'd wronged him once it came up empty. He chuckled, the action itself came across as more-or-less strange and off-putting in Daryl's opinion. "Ya wouln't even have this piece uh shit house if I ain't let ya sell my trailer an' gimme yers. It's a downgrade on my part, if ya ask me." Daryl rubbed at his eyes, sleep still lingering there, before he pushed himself from bed, "Is'sa good thing I ain't ask ya then. You din't need a big ass trailer no way. Yer never there, yer always out causin' some sorta ruckus."

Daryl pulled on a shirt, a bit insecure to feel his brother watching him. He let off a groan of frustration when Merle grew too quiet, following the sound effect with barely audible words, "Wha' the fuck you want, anyhow?" Merle snickered and it made the hairs on the back of Daryl's neck stand on end, "I jus' wanted to make sure ya ain't too mad at me for bein' mean to yer bitch earlier. I jus' think this pregnancy thing is fuckin' stupid."

Daryl turned to his brother finally, nodding slowly, lower lip jutting out. He wasn't usually the type to show emotions in front of his older brother but only because, when they were younger, it either earned him an ass-beating or vicious teasing. "Tha' don't mean ya got the righ' to broadcast it to every fuckin' person at the party. And I pers'nally don't give two shits 'bout wha' ya think of me an' Sara. We'll handle it if it comes to it an' I'll take care uh her an' the baby. Stay the fuck outta it." At the last words he spoke, The older Dixon pounced toward him, eyes intent to kill while choking his kid brother to one of the pale olive walls. "Don't be fuckin' stupid! Get the fuck out while ya can. The fuck ya gonna do wit a kid? Yer barely a man, let 'lone a daddy."

He tried his best to withhold the anger, he also tried his best to ignore what he already thought. That was the thing about Merle, instead of encouraging Daryl, he only brought his negative thoughts further to the surface. He loved Sara more than anything in the world, but she was so young and he didn't know if he could stick around and watch her rott with him when he knew that her dream was to get the hell out of their god-forsaken town; it was a dream he couldn't help her fulfill, and for that he almost damn-near prayed that the scare was just a scare. Instead of crying like he wanted to, he curled up his fist and began wailing on his brother. Daryl delivered blow after blow to Merle's head and it wasn't until the older Dixon's hand fell limp from his neck that he realized he'd literally beat him unconscious. Usually, Merle put up more of a fight, but not when he was that drunk. He'd tightened the grip on Daryl's neck for about two minutes before the sharp blows rendered him into sleep.

"...Fuck," Daryl breathed. He rubbed at his throat and leaned down to glance at the man on his bedroom floor, battered and bloody. The big fuck was still breathing but there was no way in hell Daryl knew what to do in this situation and he refused to take his brother to the Emergency Room; it was too far of a drive and Merle was sure to wake on the way and he was also sure to be pissed.

* * *

><p>"If you ever try to break up with me again, I'll tie you to the bed."<p>

The words came as an immediate shock to him and he opened his eyes, blinking slowly at the beautiful naked woman sprawled across his chest. She had barely whispered the words but she knew he'd heard her when he grinned down at her. "Hate to break it to ya but...thas' not really a threat."

She decided to ignore his comment, otherwise they'd be in bed all day and she was pretty sure after how horrible yesterday was, there were a few apologies she had to hand out. She exhaled deeply, snuggling up to him a bit more due to lack of warmth, "You were tossing last night. I had to hold you to get you to stop. Bad dream?" Sara propped up on her elbow and examined him, her brow creasing with worry only moments later.

Daryl sucked on his lower lip, mulling over whether it would be best to discuss his dream with her. He was, after all, the one who just spent the last few days bitching at her for not being open with him. "It was 'bout Merle," the words were so hushed he was surprised when she said, "Oh Daryl.." and leaned in to kiss him as an act of consolement. They kissed for a while, it wasn't heated or lust-filled, it was a kiss that held deep understanding and irrevocable amounts of love. Sara was first to pull away and she didn't know what it was that scared her most: The foreign look in Daryl's eyes; Or the clammy feel of his skin. "...Maybe you're coming down with something," She murmured against his neck.

He didn't believe that was possible, he hadn't gone anywhere to catch a cold. Last time he checked, he stayed indoors most of the time aside from skinning food. "If i'm gettin' sick, it's cuzza you." She pulled back a bit to look at his face, an expression of mock-offense on her own. "I'll have you know, I've been staying inside just as much as you have, Mr. Dixon." Sara made a valid point, whether she was mad at Daryl or they were screwing each other's brains out- she spent most of her time indoors too. "I think being outside yesterday was the first time I'd gotten a chance to go outside since Denny was..."

She stopped speaking and he automatically sensed her distress, taking his hand and stroking her jaw. "He's back now. An' ain't nobody takin' him. I ain't gonna let nobody hurt either of you." The two leaned their foreheads to rest against the others', green eyes to blue ones. "I think we should get out of bed now. You know we've slept in too late when I can smell breakfast cooking." Daryl eyed her for a moment before sniffing the air, he didn't smell anything but he sure as hell wasn't going to tell her that. Knowing her, it'd send her into a panic attack; she'd fuss how either he was sick and couldn't smell anything or something was wrong with her for smelling something he hadn't. It was a lose-lose situation. "Sure thing," he said with a faint smile.

* * *

><p>Daryl opened the front door, the sight of a barely awaken brunette on his doorstep catching his full attention. "This had better be important," she sniped at him. He only grinned toothily, knowing she wasn't mad at him, only cranky that he called her so late.. or early, depending on how one looked at it. She probably had to sneak out too, not to mention it was only three hours since she'd got in from the lake party which had been a total disaster. Daryl stepped out of the doorway to allow her entrance, it amused him how adorable she was in her current state; all he could think about was taking her upstairs to hold and kiss her.<p>

"I know ya ain't really fond of him, 'specially after tonight, but I kinda need yer help with Merle."

She eyed him and in that moment, anyone could tell she was not only angry but mortified. Daryl nodded slowly as he leaned against his staircase, "I understand if yer gonna up an' leave now."

"Oh, shut up, you idiot. He's your problem which sort of makes him mine by association. No matter how much of a dick he is, am I not obligated to help?" She shrugged off her jacket and threw it on his couch, not really waiting for an answer to her question seeing as it was rhetorical in the first place. "Now where is the dumbass?"

Daryl bit down on his lower lip, sending a suggestful look in the direction of his bedroom. "Well, what's he doing up there.." she said to herself before taking the stairs two at a time. She threw herself into the doorway, heart racing as her worry increased. "Jesus Christ, is he dead?!"

She jumped back away from the threshold and directly into Daryl, his hands instantly at her arms to brace her in place. "No, but I wanna get him bandaged up an' in the spare room 'fore he wakes up. When we fight like this, he usually sleeps 'til six in the afternoon 'fore bitchin' at me." Sara looked between the body on the ground and Daryl at her back, of course, a million questions were forming in her head but she couldn't bring herself to ask any of them so she formed one she could muster enough balls to spit out. "Why call me for medical attention? I'm an artist, I want to be in advertising for christ sake."

He laughed lightly, Sara was clearly still being a grinch but he knew that the quicker he moved things along, the quicker they could get back to sleep. It was only three in the morning and she looked like she'd pass out from exhaustion if things didn't get moving fast enough. "I remember you fussin' to Lotty 'bout some dumb first-aid elective they gave ya for yer senior year. Besides, yer the only one I trust to see this bullshit drama."

Sara didn't say anything, she only smirked and pushed up the sleeves of her plaid button-down shirt. Up until that moment, she wasn't aware that men had it in them to pay attention to the things women said. She and Daryl had the best sex-life in town, everyone knew it, but she hadn't pegged him from a listener. Just because he got so quiet whenever she started talking or ranting didn't necessarily mean he was always listening. She moved around him to get to the bathroom, reaching around in the mirror-faced cupboard for the first-aid kid that Daryl used to get a splinter out of her finger the last time she was there. That had actually been her first time there, and somehow she'd managed to get a dumb splinter sneaking into his open window, and not to mention Daryl almost shot her. "Make sure to use the door next time," was all he said to her, but she could tell he was shaken at the thought of almost killing her.

She shook herself from embarrassing thoughts of the not so distant past and moved back into the room where she began cleaning Merle's minor cuts and scrapes. Surely, Lydia would piss bricks if she saw Merle in this state and the thought of what her face would look like only made Sara smile. Daryl cleared his throat and Sara raised an eyebrow at him as she applied all the bandages to the proper places, figuring Merle would be petrified when he looked at them and saw they were the hello-kitty ones Daryl had brought for her. "Something you want to tell me, Dixon?" She asked quietly, eyes no longer trained to him, but focused on caring for Merle. Lucky for both the Dixon boys that she'd passed that first-aid class last card-marking or he would be looking like the bride of Chucky, with stitches everywhere. "I kicked his ass for talkin' bad 'bout ya," He leaned against the door jamb as if what he revealed was a load off of his shoulders.

"Daryl, I'd think it wise not to tell me how badly your brother speaks of me while I have a kit full of needles and sharp medical tools at my disposal. Just because I said he's sort of like my brother, doesn't mean I won't stab him," She breathed out before placing un-used gauze back into the medical kit, rising to her feet slowly. "You can move him into the spare room while I put the case back... Then we can talk about it in bed." She picked up the case, maneuvered around Merle's unconscious body, passed Daryl in the doorway, and entered the bathroom. She closed the door behind her and normally, Daryl would question the action but it was clear to him that she was probably just stripping out of her jeans and button-down shirt into just her underwear and camisole for bed. He lugged Merle to the spare bedroom adjacent to his own, the flush white walls nearly hurting his eyes when he turned the light on. He plopped his older brother down on the bed, placed at blanket or two over him, and just looked down at the other man.

He wasn't usually sentimental but just looking at the jackass sleeping and peaceful like that reminded him that it was moments like this, when Merle was unconscious, that made him loveable- at least until he woke up. "Dumbass," He shot before turning to leave the room and closing the door behind him.

Making it back to his room, he ran his hands down his face as he stood in the doorway. He exhaled harshly following the sound of the bathroom door creaking open. "Is it the brightest idea to go to sleep with Merle here. He isn't going to burn down the house while we sleep, is he?" Daryl walked into his room, knowing she'd follow, "No. I told ya, he sleeps until six noon, we'll be awake 'fore then. An' Merle may be a dumbass, but he ain't stupid. He knows if he kills me, i'll be hauntin' his ass for eternity."

She walked past him and went to pull loose the covers on his bed, "Well, if old Merly Pearly doesn't kill me, my dad sure will." Daryl allowed his eyes to take in the sight of her in nothing but her panties and that cami, he embedded the image into his mind. "He'll live. Yer eighteen now, he can't jus' go bossin' ya around like yer cattle." Daryl moved to his side of the bed, aware of her eyes trained to him but surely he knew that sharing a bed with his girlfriend didn't always mean there would be sex. He was amazed she could even manage to look at him with that turned-on expression and still look absolutely tired all at once. He plopped underneath the covers and she got under moments later, reaching over to click off the lamp that she suspected he clicked on after finding Merle in his room.

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness but the moment they did, she moved closer to him and he fulfilled the compelling urge to hold her. "Now tell me what it is you wanted to tell me before I pass out," She whispered at his neck.

* * *

><p>"Waffles or pancakes?" Carol asked politely as Daryl poured himself a cup of coffee. He was about to answer her but Sara beat him to the punch, "He'll have pancakes. I'll have waffles." Had they become one of those couples? The ones who had been together for so long and knew basically every like and dislike about their partners? It sure seemed like it. Most men would be scared off by it, but it made Daryl smile to know that someone knew him that well; well enough to know how he loathed waffles and well enough to know how he took his coffee. He moved, turning to find some milk, and there she was, pouring it into his mug; Daryl liked his Coffee with nothing but milk. He handed her a container of cream and she smiled.<p>

Denny came roaring into the dining area where, slowly but surely, everyone was starting to gather with plates of eggs, bacon, and either pancakes or waffles. Some of the children even had bowls of cereal. They were taking advantage of the milk they'd found frozen in the cellar's freezer. Frozen milk didn't spoil, but it only lasted so long. "Mom, guess what!?" Sara nearly choked on her coffee at the sight of him; the boy's hair was a catastrophe that only his pillow could be responsible for. "Well, good morning to you, too," she mused before taking her hands and smoothing down his dirty-blonde locks.

The ten-year-old tried his best not to get agitated or grow annoyed but he failed miserably and ended up pushing away at her hands, cheeks red from embarrassment. "Mooom," he groaned, "You're not listening to me!" Daryl laughed, he couldn't help but laugh, the sight was the funniest thing he'd witnessed all morning. "What is it, sweetie?" She gave in, finally. "Mr. Grimes and I finished painting the nursery for you!" He held up his hands to her, and sure enough, they were covered in pastel paint. Sara dropped her fork and the look on her face was anything but pleased. The nursery was her project, it was her outlet, and though she was happy they'd been kind enough to lend her a hand... she was upset.

"Excuse me," She said to Glenn, Maggie, Hershel, Beth, Sebastian, Deborah, Lydia, and the children who were all sitting at the table, everyone else bustling around in the kitchen space - including Rick. She avoided Daryl's expression of worry and high-tailed it out of the dining area and Daryl already suspected she was heading for the nursery.

Just as quickly as she had gone, Daryl was behind her with little to no hesitation; he actually hadn't gone through the motions of excusing himself. What would have been the point? Everyone else at the table knew what was going on - aside from the children, at least. "Did I do something wrong?" Denny sputtered following after his father. Daryl whirled around almost gracefully- almost - and leaned over to put his hands on the boy's shoulders, "You ain't do nothin'. Yer momma is just a little wound up. I'll go upstairs and talk to her." Before Daryl could jet up the staircase, Rick appeared in the foyer. "Daryl... What's going on?"

Daryl weighed his options, he wasn't sure if he should tell the man that his act of kindness was a wrong move and that getting his son involved in it was sure to be an even worse choice on his behalf. "Sara's pissed the hell off. Thanks for tryin' to help, but yer tryin' ain't go too far with my little lady." Though his words came off as harsh, that was the Dixon way of being nice. It was then that he realized why all the men working at Mr. Carson's garage used to bitch and moan about their women, it was getting exhausting to have to defend her and her feelings all the god damn time. If Daryl hadn't loved this woman for more than ten years, surely he would've up and left by now. But he couldn't help but subconsciously think, WHEN THE HELL IS IT GOING TO END. All the defending had to stop, and he understood she'd lost her cousin, her little sister, and damn near her step-sister but this was crazy. She whined about everything, but mostly half of what she was really upset about, and then ended up pushing him away in the end. She wasn't the Sara he once knew; the one who would come to him for everything; the one who second guessed him before she ever second guessed herself. He knew he was partly to blame for her changing but, the past was the past and the best he could do now was love her, make sure she didn't get eaten, and help raise their son in this fucked up world.

Daryl turned on his heel, clearly irritable, before trudging his way up the staircase.

* * *

><p>"Merle told me to leave ya"<p>

As quickly as the words had left him, she was sat up-right and switching the lamp back on, "Excuse me?" She was looking down at him, un-amused, as he lounged on a pillow eyes avoiding hers. He shifted uncomfortably, fidgeting with his hands beneath the covers. She swatted at the mangled shape of his hands and his eyes slowly travelled to her face. "I ain't gonna. If thas' wha' yer worried 'bout," he sounded annoyed but he tried his best to stay civil with her because they both knew how bad things could get and how quickly, "and I mean, I did jus' beat my brother unconscious defendin' yer honor an' all." Sara pursed her lips, she wasn't buying it. She and Daryl both knew good and well that usually when Merle tried to convince him of something, Daryl was usually already thinking about it and holding doubt over the subject like a t-bone steak over a starved hyena.

"I think I should go home." Those words were enough to make him grab her by the wrist as she shuffled to get out of his bed. She winced and he knew he was hurting her so he let go, only to receive a sharp smack to the face. Then another. His face was red from both impact and anger when he yanked her closer, "Yer not goin' nowhere half-sleep, not with no baby inside ya." She scoffed, finally yanking free of him, eyes trained to his with hatred boiling inside of them, "You didn't have to hurt me, Daryl..." She lost eye contact with him and began rubbing her wrist where the skin had gone red and tender.

He exhaled sharply, not fully believing he'd stoop as low as to bring harm to her. Daryl didn't believe in hitting women or kids, it was due to the likeness of his father that would bloom inside of him if he did. He didn't say anything, just pulled her into a hug that, at first, seemed pretty unnatural and uncomfortable on Sara's part. Finally, after a few moments, she warmed up to it and moved into him, her arms wrapping around his body. "I don't know what you're expecting of me," The words brought confusion to his face as they pulled apart. Daryl wasn't exactly one with women but after a few moments of examining her expression, he could only guess what she was hinting at. She was still in high school, possibly pregnant, and he was much older than her. "I jus' wanna be here...with you. For as long as yer willin' to have me." He said the words, but he didn't fully mean them. He could already feel the knot in his throat, thoughts racing around nothing but the fact that if he really loved her, he wouldn't hold her back.

She blinked slowly, swatting at her face to clear the tears that had formed in the midst of everything. He held her face between his palms and smiled gently before leaning in for a kiss.

* * *

><p>Sara sat there in the middle of the floor, her attention currently on ridding her index finger of a ragged hangnail. She pulled and tugged absent-mindedly before peeling it free, a droplet of blood taking the place of the skin she'd managed to snag. Her eyes grew fascinated at the drop as it grew bigger and bigger.<p>

Ahem.

Did she hear that right? Was someone clearing their throat at her? She looked up slowly, eyes connecting with the culprit of such a noise. Her face was stained with the tears of hysteria that had pooled from her upon seeing the room nearly finished, paint on the walls already drying. Daryl hadn't noticed all the tears or blood before, but now that he did, he wasn't exactly sure what to do. Rushing to her would have been suitable before, but he wasn't sure. "Why do you even bother? It's so obvious..."

Her words came out in a whisper, but they were still enough to catch the redneck off guard. "Wha'?"

"It's obvious that... I'm not that same girl that you fell in love with. I've changed. People change. Yet here you are, still touching me, still kissing me in the shadows. Or maybe I'm wrong," She waved her hands frantically, the water works starting up again, "Maybe everyone changed except you and... and you're still this perfect mess of a man. Who.. despite all his insecurities and his shitty childhood has managed to stay grounded and see what others refuse to. Who sees light in only the well-lit places. There is no grey area for you, Daryl. There never was, even before all this end of the world, post-apocalyptic bullshit."

He swallowed hard, watching her fall apart in silence. Ten years ago, he would have stopped it.

She hiccupped lightly and then laughed in spite of herself, "You know, that's the only thing I can't fucking understand. If you can see right through shit, if you're mister honesty...mister realistic, why couldn't you see from that very first day that I'm not her. I'm not your precious Sarafina Greene." She pushed herself to stand, a bit wobbly but her bleeding finger was still quick to point accusation where she felt it should be placed. "Or maybe you're just not as keen as everyone gives you credit for when it comes to me!" He stood up straighter now, not using the door jamb to hold up his weight.

Looking her over, he caught a bit of distaste on his tongue. He hated seeing her like this. But this is what needed to happen, this is what they needed to fix their quickly eroding love affair. Daryl knew they were in troubled waters just on the basis that they could have earth-shattering make-up sex only to have Sara off having a meltdown just a few short hours later. Jaw clenching, he stepped into the room to where she was, only giving her a few feet of space, "Look. I get tha' yer hurtin'. I get tha'. But yer crazy outta yer fuckin' mind if ya think I'm losin' my touch. I knew it tha' very moment I saw ya again tha' no amount of lip gloss or tha' shiny mane of hair could make you any different from the Sara I knew. Yer her, ya jus' dress it up nicely. I dunno if it's outta habit, or years of feelin' like ya gotta hide who ya are. But as someone who sees through to the core of most things, I can tell right now tha' all ya want is to remember jus' who the fuck it is tha' ya are. You keep tryin' to grasp at it but it won't stick an' yer too damn proud to ask for help; tha' an' the fact ya don't even know exactly wha' yer problem is." He heaved a sigh as her cold and calculated eyes took him in. For the first time in a long time she'd actually been thinking and it didn't matter how harsh the reality of his words were or how deeply they set in; because he was right.

* * *

><p>The fair couldn't have come quickly enough. After sleeping in with Daryl, she called her Dad and made some excuse about an emergency with Lotty and, of course, Lotty covered for her. After cooking breakfast, having Lydia deliver her some clothes for the night's festivities, and making numerous phone calls to be sure the 'End of Autumn' fair was all in place, the two were left with just the matter of dealing with Merle. He threw a temper tantrum with Daryl, called Sara a few names, and then disappeared into the sunset.<p>

"How is everything going over here?" Lotty asked over the noise that hung in the crisp autumn air, leaning over the counter of the ring toss, smiling from ear to ear at Daryl.

He smiled back at her before shaking his head, refusing to play this game with her. "So, you want to tell me why I had to lie to my uncle this morning?" She glanced at two laughing children as they bounced by the booth holding a giant teddy bear, before turning her attention back to the man before her. He shrugged casually before grunting, "Jus' needed her for somethin', she was too exhausted to drive home after." Lotty raised an eyebrow and he rolled his eyes, "Not like tha'. Dirty bitch."

Lotty giggled, pretending to look offended by his words before she turned away and made it over to the kissing booth. "Hey slut," She cooed at Sara who gave her a mean glare. "If I catch mono, I'm killing you. You know that right?" Sara didn't want to be signed up for that particular booth, and not just for her own sanity but because she could practically feel Daryl flinch every time someone paid to kiss her or leaned in. "Feeling cheap and dirty yet?"

Sara chuckled, leaning to meet her cousin half-way across the booth, "If I wanted to feel like that, I'd just raid your closet." A few men caught sight of what was just playful and started to chant 'kiss, kiss, kiss'. The girls paid no attention to it at first until they caught sight of Sebastian saying it too. Lotty leaned down and picked up a stray apple from the bobbing booth and chucked it at him, only to hear a thud and then a distinct howl afterward. She did a small victory dance before bringing her attention to a rosy-cheeked Sara. "Come on. I need to talk to you," She said, tugging on her younger cousin's hoodie, being sure to flip the closed sign on Sara's side of the kissing booth. They both wandered aimlessly away from the area, leaving poor Lydia to do a whole lot of kissing all by herself.

"Lotty... before you say anything, I have to say something first," They stopped by one of the High School's brick walls - seeing as the fair was being held behind the school, "I got my period." Lotty laughed before jumping for joy, "Oh my god. Are you serious? That's amazing!" She was mid-victory dance when she realized that Sara didn't seem as happy as she did, eyes scanning over the younger girl's face. "You are happy about it, right?"

Sara gave a stiff nod, "I just... don't know how to tell Daryl. He seemed super freaked out, yeah, but a part of me thinks he wanted the baby... like it would keep me here with him. I know that sounds totally selfish, but, he's been waiting for me for so long and in a few months I could be leaving." The words made a lot of sense just from the simple fact that no man wants to get the woman of his dreams only to set her free again. "Are you sure that he's the only one who wanted you to stay?" Sara froze at her cousin's words and instantly regretted saying anything. "I don't know... maybe I wanted the baby so I could stay too. I just.. I feel like myself when I'm with him and it's like... without Daryl, I don't know who I am."

"Well then lets start praying that you never deny letting him completely into that black ass heart of yours," Lotty smiled but it didn't quite touch her eyes. She knew her cousin struggled with this identity thing for her whole life and it only got worse when her mother split, but she didn't think the first time Sara would tell her she felt herself would be because of a man. That type of thing was dangerous, getting so tightly wrapped up in another human being. Lotty knew from tons of experience with men that they change and leave you standing there broken, thinking that you were once a part of them when in reality, the only time you were ever close to being one was when they were inside of you. "Tell him, it'll be fine. He'll take it like a champ. And as for you leaving, that's solely up to you. If he's worth it, at the end of senior year, you won't even have a thought about leaving. And if you do have thoughts on it, then just do what all adults do and decide." Telling Sara to decide was like telling her to eat cereal with a fork, it only left her confused.

However, Sara took in all the wisdom Lotty could give. She sucked it all up like life-support. "So what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" She'd nearly forgotten, "I dragged you over here to tell you to fix this situation. Baby or no baby, get your shit in order. 'Cause see that man workin' the ring toss? He can either be the worst thing for you or the best. Don't screw it up. He's my best friend, I know him like the back of my hand, and soon... you will too. No more second guessing." Her hand found the crook of Sara's neck and rested there before pulling her into a hug, and over Sara's shoulder her eyes found Daryl in the crowd as he made his way to them.

* * *

><p>Sara walked out on him, favoring being in their room versus being in the same room with him. When Daryl made it back down to the table, he was more than taken aback to see Carlos sitting beside Rick, eating a bowl of Cheerios. "Wha' the fu-," his eyes found Denny instantly, sitting far away from the hispanic man but his eyes caught something else... the fear etched into Izzy's face.<p>

Sebastian threw an apple at Daryl and he was quick to catch it, damn near squeezing it to death, "Wha's he doin' at the table?" Rick gave Daryl a sideways glance and it was T-Dog who spoke up. "Rick said we can't go keeping him upstairs forever." Daryl gave Rick a look as if to say, 'Why the fuck not?' He already had a feeling what Rick would say. That it's brutality, inhumane, yadda yadda. They once chained a man to a rooftop and that was ten times more inhumane. That being thought of, Daryl couldn't care less because he knew Carlos staying upstairs and locked up was the only thing keeping him from ringing his neck. "This asshole kidnapped my kid an' you wanna jus' pretend it ain't happen?" Carlos raised an eyebrow questioningly before chuckling, "That explains a lot." Daryl threw the apple clean across the room, catching Hershel's attention first before the others followed suit. None of this sat right with Daryl. And why was the little girl looking so pale and agitated? What the fuck was going on?

Knock.

Who the hell was at the door? And past the gate?

Daryl was first to get up, Rick, Sebastian and Deborah on his heels. "Anyone leave the gate open?" He heard someone say. A woman? Carol? Maybe Lydia? He couldn't think straight. Too much was getting thrown at him and too fast for him to get a grip on each thing as an individual detail. Daryl reached the door first and swung it open, eyes averting low to a man cowering on the porch. "The gate looks secure again, someone go double check." He heard a man say. Rick?

T-Dog was pushing past Daryl to run across the acres of land as fast as he could. He heard someone calling for medical attention but he was glued in place, blood rushing in his ears as he looked down at the man hunched over on the porch. The man with an advanced lock-pick, that probably barely worked for the state of the art gate around Cranbrook Manor, in his hand. The man who looked half-dead. The man with only one hand.

"Merle?" Daryl's breath hitched and everything went dark.

* * *

><p>"Am I interrupting somethin'?"<p>

The girls tore apart from each other and gazed at him, small smiles on their faces. "No, I was just heading to cover for Sars at the kissing booth." Sara looked over at her cousin, half-shocked, before she was no longer there. She avoided looking at Daryl for a few moments but then she just gave in to it, "I got my period." He looked shocked for a moment, rocking back on his heels a bit at the news. He jutted his lip out for a fraction of a minute and then looked at her more intently. "An' how you feelin' 'bout tha'?" Sara hunched her shoulders, she hadn't really had time to think deeply on it, but she was scared to death of losing herself; losing the feeling she got when she was with him. "I don't really know... but I do still want to be with you. Baby or not, I'm... in love with you, Daryl Dixon."

Somehow hearing her say it lifted a weight off of him, he would swear he heard angels singing. "I'm in love with you, too," he said, stepping much closer to her. She threw her arms around his neck without hesitation and he held her close. From over Sara's shoulder, he caught glimpse of Lotty in between kisses with Scott Melnick, who graduated two years earlier than them. The two locked eyes and the girl winked. Daryl smiled in return before spinning around a few times, Sara tight at his chest and laughing.

It was in that moment that he didn't care he'd be losing her in a few months. All that mattered to him was that she was his and he was blessed with the time given and all else would be handled when the time came.


End file.
